Kentucky is moving forward, and the latest Bicycle Friendly State Report Card from the League of American Bicyclists shows just how far the Commonwealth has come.
Kentucky now ranks 28th nationally, climbing four spots from its 2024 ranking of 32nd. The state also improved its standing among Southern states, moving from 7th to 6th out of 13.
The bigger story, however, is the progress Kentucky has made over time. In 2017, Kentucky ranked 43rd nationally. The state held that position in 2019 before climbing to 37th in 2022, 32nd in 2024, and now 28th in 2026. That’s a 15-place improvement since 2017 and three consecutive gains in the national rankings since 2019.
The latest report recognizes increased investment in bicycle and pedestrian improvements, stronger infrastructure scores, and meaningful progress in programs and policies supporting safer transportation. For Bike Walk Kentucky, the results offer both a reason to celebrate and a reminder of the work ahead.
Kentucky is making progress, and now is the time to keep that momentum going.
More Than a Ranking: What the Report Card Measures
The League of American Bicyclists evaluates all 50 states through its Bicycle Friendly State program, examining more than 100 data points related to transportation funding, infrastructure, laws, policies, safety, and support for bicycling.
The rankings help measure the conditions that allow people to travel safely and comfortably by bicycle, but the benefits of these improvements extend beyond cycling.
A connected sidewalk can help a child reach school. A safer intersection can benefit an older adult crossing the street. A new path can connect neighborhoods to parks, local businesses, and community destinations. For everyday Kentuckians, progress in active transportation is about more than recreational opportunities. It’s about safety, access, mobility, and quality of life.
More Investment in Walking and Biking
One of the most encouraging developments in Kentucky’s 2026 report card is increased federal transportation investment.
Federal Highway Administration spending on biking and walking rose from $4.42 per resident in the 2024 report to $5.29 in 2026, an increase of nearly 20%. Kentucky also meets the League’s benchmark of directing at least 2% of federal transportation funds toward bicycle and pedestrian improvements, an achievement not reflected in the state’s 2024 report card.
The League specifically recognizes $18.8 million awarded to 18 Kentucky projects in 2026 through the Transportation Alternatives program. Those projects include improvements such as a sidewalk connecting to a school and a bridge providing access to a historic battlefield.
These investments demonstrate how transportation funding can translate into meaningful opportunities for communities. A safer route to school, a connected neighborhood, or improved access to a public destination may seem like a small change on a statewide map. For the people who use those connections every day, the difference can be significant.
Infrastructure and Safety Efforts Show Measurable Gains
The 2026 report card also identifies progress in areas that help support safer transportation.
Kentucky’s Infrastructure category score increased from 64% in 2024 to 72% in 2026, moving the Commonwealth from 29th to 26th nationally in that category.
Another notable change occurred in the Safety category. Kentucky earned 24% of available points in 2024 compared with 53% in 2026, improving its national standing from 48th to 40th.
These scores measure safety-related efforts and conditions evaluated by the League. They do not mean roadway crashes or fatalities have declined. In fact, the report identifies bicyclist fatalities as a continuing concern, underscoring the importance of translating stronger programs and policies into safer experiences on Kentucky’s streets.
The report also recognizes the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s continued work to improve transportation planning and safety practices.
Kentucky adopted its statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in 2022, establishing a foundation for coordinated improvements across the Commonwealth. In 2025, the Cabinet partnered with Smart Growth America to design quick-build demonstration projects on state-owned roads.
Quick-build projects allow communities to explore roadway safety improvements using relatively inexpensive materials and methods, often without waiting for major reconstruction. These approaches can help communities test solutions, understand local needs, and make informed decisions about future improvements.
A Strong Foundation for Continued Progress
Kentucky continues to perform particularly well in the Capacity & Support category, ranking 11th nationally in 2026 and earning 85% of available points.
In practical terms, this reflects important resources, programs, and organizational support that can help communities plan and advance bicycle-friendly transportation. While the category’s score decreased slightly from 2024, Kentucky maintained its 11th-place national ranking.
The 2026 report also shows opportunities to strengthen transportation funding practices, policies, and community-level implementation. These findings reinforce the importance of continued collaboration among transportation agencies, local governments, public-health organizations, advocates, and residents.
Planning and resources create opportunities. Local partnerships help turn those opportunities into improvements people can experience.
Progress Worth Celebrating. Work Worth Continuing.
Kentucky’s climb in the rankings is encouraging, but the report card also identifies challenges that deserve continued attention.
Only 0.2% of Kentucky commuters travel to work by bicycle, placing the Commonwealth 43rd nationally in that measure. The League also reports ongoing concerns about bicyclist fatalities and recommends additional efforts to improve roadway safety.
Among its recommendations are strengthening bicycle and pedestrian networks, continuing practical safety improvements, and providing clearer legal guidance to help communities establish 20-mile-per-hour speed limits on appropriate urban and residential streets.
These challenges matter, and addressing them will require continued investment, cooperation, and attention to local needs. The encouraging news is that Kentucky is not starting from scratch. The Commonwealth has made progress in planning, infrastructure, and the systems that support change, creating a foundation for the next generation of improvements.
Every Kentucky Community Has a Role to Play
Meaningful progress doesn’t happen through statewide plans alone. It also begins with people who recognize opportunities in their own communities.
A parent asking about a safer route to school. A community leader identifying a missing sidewalk. A local organization connecting residents with transportation resources. A transportation professional exploring a more practical street design. Each of those conversations can become a starting point for change.
Bike Walk Kentucky works to help communities understand their opportunities, connect with partners, access resources, and take meaningful steps toward safer walking, bicycling, and active living.
The goal isn’t simply to move higher in a national ranking. It’s to help ensure that improvements in statewide transportation planning and investment lead to better everyday experiences for Kentuckians. That includes our rural towns, small communities, growing cities, and metropolitan areas.
Every community deserves the opportunity to become a place where walking and bicycling are safe, practical, and enjoyable.
Kentucky Is Moving Forward. Let’s Keep the Momentum Going.
Kentucky’s 2026 Bicycle Friendly State Report Card tells an encouraging story.
We’ve climbed 15 places nationally since 2017. We’ve made three consecutive gains in the national rankings since 2019. We’re investing more in biking and walking, strengthening infrastructure, and continuing to develop the programs and partnerships that support meaningful improvements.
Those accomplishments reflect years of effort by transportation professionals, public agencies, community organizations, advocates, and Kentuckians working to make their communities better. The most important part of this story, however, isn’t simply where Kentucky stands today. It’s what this progress tells us about what we can accomplish next.
We can continue improving connections to schools. We can strengthen routes between neighborhoods, parks, businesses, and public spaces. We can support communities in identifying practical solutions, finding funding opportunities, and building partnerships.
Through these efforts, we can continue working toward transportation systems that serve people of all ages and abilities. Kentucky’s progress deserves recognition, and its remaining challenges deserve our commitment.
Kentucky is moving forward. Let’s keep the momentum going.
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About Bike Walk Kentucky
Bike Walk Kentucky is a statewide organization working to advance safer, more accessible walking, bicycling, and active transportation across the Commonwealth. Through advocacy, education, resources, and partnerships, Bike Walk Kentucky helps communities create healthier, more connected places for everyone.
About the Bicycle Friendly State Report Card
The Bicycle Friendly State Report Card is produced by the League of American Bicyclists and evaluates state efforts to support bicycling through transportation policies, infrastructure, funding, laws, safety measures, and organizational support.
Historical Kentucky report cards are available through the League of American Bicyclists at https://bikeleague.org/states.
Media Inquiries
Amy Clevidence
Program Coordinator
Bike Walk Kentucky
(270) 331-0420
amy@bikewalk.ky
