Traverse City Ranked No. 1 for Bike Network in Michigan
Ranked in the 96th percentile in the country
PeopleForBikes has ranked Traverse City No. 1 for the most bikeable city in the state of Michigan. The City Ratings compare the best cities for biking, both big and small, and how local leaders, decision makers, and advocates can act on key lessons to build more safe, fun, and connected places to ride across the U.S. The 2023 ratings represented the largest in the program’s history.
Traverse City also ranked in the 96th percentile overall throughout the country, and ranked in the 98th percentile in the small city category. The overall network score of 65 was based on a network that connects people to area residents, jobs and schools, core services, recreation, retail, and transit. Traverse City scored the highest network ratings in connection to retail, and jobs and schools.
“The City has worked for several years to build a bike network that connects people with place and each other. Receiving the No. 1 ranking in the state proves that we are on the right path to continue improving a network that increases safety and equitable access to multi-modal transportation,” stated City Planning Director, Shawn Winter.
The City of Traverse City has collaborated with several organizations and entered into intergovernmental agreements to build a more robust bike network in the City and beyond. Beginning with fiscal year 2015/2016, the City Commission began allocating substantially more funding toward sidewalks and accelerated programs such as, the Sidewalk Gap and Infill Project, the Sidewalk Preservation Project, and Safe Routes to School. Between 2016 - 2021, the City invested nearly $8,000,000 in improved sidewalk connections. Funding was provided by numerous resources and resulted in 20.37 miles of improvements. In addition, the 4+ mile Boardman Lake Loop Trail was completed in 2022.
"The PeopleForBikes City Ratings results are an awesome nod to all the powerful partnerships that work together to make our City so loveable and bikeable. But there's more work to do! This provides even more motivation for us to keep pushing for better infrastructure because it’s making a difference," stated Julie Clark, TART Trails CEO.
“Being named the State's most bikeable city is quite an honor for our community. This award highlights decades of careful planning, collaborations, and community engagement between numerous organizations. It is a joy to pause and celebrate this shared accomplishment,” said Jill Sill, Norte Executive Director. “At Norte, we champion bikes and community. Our mission is simple and yet has far-reaching benefits. We know healthy communities are accessible, and promote connections between people and places. We also know large-scale change takes time, intention, and teamwork. In celebration of being named the State’s most bikeable city, I hope you will take a summer bike ride and marvel at our lovely community.”
"Strong collaborations make strong cities, and I'm proud of the partnership between city government, TART and Norte that has brought this recognition to our city," said Jean Derenzy, CEO of the Downtown Development Authority. "Many years of work have led to this achievement, and we look forward to prioritizing cycling well into the future."
PeopleForBikes, the U.S. bicycling industry’s trade association and a national advocacy organization, announced the results of its seventh annual City Ratings, where 1,733 were rated on the quality of their bike networks for safe and efficient bike riding. A bike network is a connected system of protected bike lanes, off-street paths, slow shared streets, and safe crossings that enables people to comfortably bike around a city.
To learn more about the PeopleForBike City Rankings for Traverse City, visit
https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.org/cities/traverse-city-mi