Two Wheels To Work

Remember when you learned how to ride your bike in the driveway when you were six years old, wobbling along on training wheels as your dad helped stabilize the back of the banana seat? Well, turns out, bicycling is making a huge comeback, thanks to the cost of gas, a nod to the environment, and for physical health benefits.

Here in bicycle-crazy Seattle, the Seattle City Council’s recently approved Bicycle Master Plan includes establishing 450 cycle-worthy miles in the Seattle area. While biking to work may not be new to some of you (including many Zillow employees), my guess is more Seattleites will take advantage of this development. The council has a goal of upping the number of Seattleites who currently bike to work from 6,000 today to 18,000 by 2017.   Take a look at the route additions below – these maps do not even include neighborhood streets with bike routes.

I know, I know, biking to work can be a better idea in your head than actually hopping on a bike at 7 AM, but just think about it - it could be less stressful than driving, you don’t need money for gas and you get exercise without going to the gym. Plus, biking to work will help reduce vehicle emissions, which will make Seattle an even healthier place to live!  The question is, what kind of effect will these new paths have on housing prices?  If more people start biking to work, will homes near these paths become hotter commodities?  At least we have until 2017 to figure it out…