I have noticed it, too. My area always has a lot of recreational cyclists and some very serious roadies train around here, too. Not only are there more of them (this has been increasing over the last couple of years), but a lot more people doing local errands on bikes. My husband said in the past 2 weeks he has seen a huge increase in commuters on his way to work. We have also had a couple of articles on cycling to save on gas in the Boston Globe. Yesterday there was an article on a school for adults who were learning to ride for the first time.
I just hope these new riders follow the rules of the road. Our neighboring town now has signs up warning riders to follow the rules and ride single file (which is the law here).