Biking is definitely "in," or at least it is in New York City, where the amount of people hopping on cycles has risen an astonishing 26% in the last year. Could it be the sudden urge to get off our tush and save the environment? Maybe it's the 200 miles of new bike routes created by NYC in the last three years? Or perhaps the recession is causing people to ride a bike versus driving, taking a cab or even riding the subway?

Whatever the cause may be, this is certainly good news. The 26% jump isn't as great as the 35% jump the year prior, but an increase is an increase and that's what matters.

Info from NYC DOT about how the figures were obtained:

"The agency measures bike commuting by counting cyclists crossing 50th Street on the Hudson River Greenway, riding over the four East River bridges, and entering and exiting the Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Terminal. Notably, cyclists riding across 50th Street on the avenues are not included in the count."

If the cycling craze continues to rise in NY and other cities for that matter, it won't be long before we'll need to take a serious look at biking laws to ensure safety for our two-wheeled travelers.

Are you biking in your town? How has it changed your life? What kind of laws of the road would you like to see?

via TreeHugger