Photo by sindändùne on Flickr.

Cyclists are better shoppers: A German survey found that cyclists buy more from stores than motorists; they buy less each trip, but make more trips, giving stores more opportunities to persuade them to buy extra items. (Twin Cities Streets for People)

Cyclists are less whiny: Responding to charges that cyclists whine too much, WashCycle tallied the number of letters in recent Dr. Gridlock columns by mode type (car, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, telecommuting) and how many were whining. The unscientific result: drivers whine by far the most, at double the rate of cyclists. (Perhaps Dr. Gridlock publishes more whines by drivers than by others; or perhaps drivers whine even more, and he filters out all but the most relevant of whines.)

Should DC repeal the height limit? DCist asks the perennial question, prompted by an AP story on dwindling buildable land in downtown DC.

Amtrak sets ridership record: The past twelve months were Amtrak’s best ever, with ridership up 11% and revenue up 14%, with the greatest revenue jumps in the northeast corridor. Of course, that means train tickets are more expensive than ever, often topping $120 each way, and they’re still filling up the trains. How about some more capacity?

Preservation, not NIMBYism: Cheverly residents have formed a group to advocate for protecting forest and wetlands, adding more hiker-biker trails, and sustainable environmental building, reports the Gazette. That sounds great; I hope they also support denser development around their underutilized Metro station instead of just opposing any development.