Slow news day...
Report: The New Majority is Pedaling Toward Equity (League of American Bicyclists)
Behind the Rise in House Prices, Wall Street Buyers (New York Times)
Report: The New Majority is Pedaling Toward Equity (League of American Bicyclists)
The League of American Bicyclists and Sierra Club released a joint report on the state of American bicycling, and the news is mostly good. Between 2001 and 2009 biking trips have increased from 1.7 billion to 4.0 billion per year(!) and the growth in ridership has been especially strong among minority groups; they also found that lower-income and minority neighborhoods--those which could often benefit most from a better bicycling culture--are often least well-served in terms of bicycle facilities.
Behind the Rise in House Prices, Wall Street Buyers (New York Times)
Large investment firms are responsible for upwards of 30% of home purchases in some regions of the country, and it's driving many smaller investors and potential homeowners out of the market, or at least driving up home prices. While this no doubt has contributed to a relatively rapid recovery in home values, there is concern for what might happen when and if large-scale investors begin to pull out of the market.