It turns out that 2010, the Year of the Bicycle in Riverside, is starting out with a bang. A grant money award to the village, confirmation of significant safety improvement opportunities and broad recognition of the outreach potential for Riverside top the list of positive developments that have taken place over the last few weeks.

Not least of all, the level of support and encouragement by the large majority of the community is exhilarating.

Just as the Riverside Sustainability Council had geared up to finalize two proposed new bicycle routes for Riverside a few weeks back, the village of Riverside learned of a $8,550 grant it had been awarded for the development and creation of bicycle route maps and route destination signage.

The grant is the result of a January 2009 joint application by the village of Riverside and the City of Berwyn for CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Improvement) funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The purpose of the CMAQ program is to fund transportation projects that will contribute to attainment or maintenance of the national ambient air quality standards for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

Furthermore, communities with adopted bicycle plans are eligible for a host of further and significantly larger grant-funding opportunities for sustainable community development. These grants will allow capital investments in our infrastructure that will improve the safety of all road users at a time when property tax dollars aren't keeping up with municipal expenses.

For instance, the Safe Routes to Schools grants would be a perfect fit for the future extension of the Riverside Ring Route, which is to provide a safe connection between West Avenue and Bloomingbank Road.

At the exact location of the main north-south connection across the railroad tracks in Olmsted's original plan, existing railroad bridge foundation walls are forming a sizable cavity below the BNSF lines which could be turned into a proper underpass with relatively little cost and effort.

Pete Coster from the Sustainability Council made the very discovery of the hidden underpass by studying old maps. The Ring Route extension would put an end to the many RBHS students crossing the rail lines illegally at West Avenue every day, and help alleviate the traffic bottle neck at the center of the Village.

There are also surprising findings relating to the purported increase of liability exposure to the community that has been discovered through extensive research by the legal team of the Riverside Sustainability Council.

In 1998, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled with a sharply divided 4-3 majority decision in the Boub v. Wayne Township case that bicyclists are "permitted" but not "intended" users of Illinois' roadways, and that local road agencies have no responsibility for an on-road bicyclist's injuries due to road condition.

The immediate consequence of the Boub v. Wayne Township decision was that Illinois policy towards on-road bicycling has been the worst in the country ever since. In all other 49 U..S states, the Uniform Vehicle Code grants bicyclists "all the rights and duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle." Not so in Illinois.

For instance, all Riverside grade school and high school students riding their bicycles to school every day have zero liability protection from road condition problems on the vast majority of our roads, while all other road users, including mopeds and motorcyclists, have full protection.

Further, the Supreme Court ruling means that immunity for municipalities goes away when there is some physical indication (like lane striping or route signage) that cyclists are "intended" on a particular roadway.

Unfortunately, this has led a number of communities to overreact on the issue and shy away from adopting bicycle route due to a perceived increase in liability exposure. However, the actual level of liability exposure is very minimal, based on lack of actual lawsuits and lack of liability insurance premium increases to local government agencies.

Finally, in adopting the 2010 Riverside Bicycle Plan, Riverside has a golden opportunity to "connect the dots": embark on a coordinated and low-cost marketing and outreach campaign that leverages our numerous natural, cultural and commercial assets in an environmentally sensitive way and increases positive exposure for Riverside.

Just think of the proposed Heritage Route which will pass by 33 historic and landmarked buildings, including three by Frank Lloyd Wright. Village commissions as well as commercial and civic organizations ought to collaborate in creating promotional materials.

If we so choose, we can take a small step towards the realization of a 21st Century adaptation of Olmsted's vision.

Tom Jacobs is a Riverside resident, architect and founder of the Riverside Sustainability Council.