LANSING, MI -- Pending local approvals, you soon can bring your own beer and wine while cruising on pedal pubs across Michigan.

Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation Wednesday, July 15, allowing pedal pub passengers to consume alcohol while onboard. Operators of the vehicles cannot be under the influence and must have proof of liability insurance.

Local governments, however, could still prevent the business from allowing alcohol onboard.

The two bill package was sponsored by state Sens. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, and Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba.

"This is another way for people to enjoy Pure Michigan," Schmidt said in June. "These type of Pedal Pub businesses continue to pop up across our state, and it's great that communities are embracing them. This is another piece in our tourism puzzle."

Today, pedal pub businesses offer tours that include stops at bars and restaurants. Patrons typically head in for a drink, then hop back on the bike for the next stop. Tours last two to three hours.

The signed legislation doesn't allow operators to sell or serve alcoholic beverages onboard and prohibits operators from drinking while on the job. It also prohibits patrons from bringing hard liquor -- it's beer and wine only.

Ashley Anderson runs the Sunrise Pedal Trolley in Bay City.

Ashley Anderson, owner of the Sunrise Pedal Trolley in Bay City, a business in it's first season, already has liability insurance setup and plans to meet with Bay City government leaders to start pitching her plan to allow patrons to bring their own beer or wine on her 15-person bike.

Patrons won't be able to bring glassware on the bike and Anderson has the right to kick anyone off who gets out of hand.

"You don't have to drink to ride on this bike," she said. "We're still all about families riding, taking city tours and having fun. This is a bonus for my business -- I'm excited I'm going to have this opportunity because it is the number one thing people ask me about."

Not all pedal pub operators, however, are jumping at the bit to allow their clients to drink on the ride.

Laurie Ryan, owner of the Great Lakes Pedal Pub in Grand Rapids, has concerns over rider safety and said she's not interested in changing her business model. She also believes the Grand Rapids City Commission wouldn't approve it anyways.

If she allowed alcohol onboard, she says her liability insurance would skyrocket to $26,000 per year -- about $13,000 more than what she currently pays. She also fears the relationships her business has built over the past three years with various Grand Rapids bars and restaurants would be ruined.

"We have a great client base and we're always busy with people who are having a great time on the bike," she said. "If I decided to allow alcohol, I would have to start all over essentially. It's not worth it to me."

According to an MLive reader poll that saw 945 responses, 73 percent of people said they were in favor of the legislation. The remaining 27 percent said drinking and pedaling on the bike is too dangerous.

Bay City Commissioner Lynn Stamiris, 1st Ward, who represents downtown Bay City, has said he's in favor of allowing Anderson's Sunrise Pedal Trolley to let people bring alcohol on board, but is concerned about the seats on the bicycle not having backs for extra security.

"Anytime people are drinking, you have to be concerned about their own safety and the safety of others," he said.

Anderson said seat belts wouldn't be safe, because most people would forget to take off the belt and could potentially injure themselves getting off the bike. She also says seat backs aren't necessary because they naturally lean toward the pedal pub's bar, making it difficult to fall off.

In addition to Grand Rapids and Bay City, there are pedal pub businesses in Traverse City and Marquette.

Kevin Farron, co-owner of TC Cycle Pub in Traverse City, plans on changing his business' policies to reflect the new legislation.

"We're very pleased with the new laws which will allow us to operate in a safer, widely desired way," he said in an email to MLive. "Allowing riders to drink beer and wine while on the TC Cycle Pub will give our employees the ability to monitor and limit guest's consumption, something we cannot do currently.

"Discussions are ongoing and it's too early to say confidently, but we're hopeful that the Traverse City city council will see the benefits and reasonings behind these new state laws and requirements, such as doubling our liability coverage. We also hope the city will take into consideration our two-and-a-half years of issue-free operations and the positive changes that these laws will allow our company to make, such as preventing guests from consuming hard liquor during our 2-hour tours."

Anderson took a group out through downtown Bay City on Wednesday, July 15. She said her business has been "very busy" in its first year.

Once she can offer a bring-your-drink option, it's likely going to get busier. She said she might have to hire another driver and purchase a second vehicle.

"It's going to be that popular."