Route 66: The Road Ahead issues first-quarter report

The Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership recently issued a first-quarter report on its activities. I found it informative, and you probably will as well.

The full text of the report is after the jump, lightly edited:

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership has released the 2017 1st Quarter Update Report. 2016 was a busy and productive year for the Road Ahead, and 2017 is off to a good start as the organization works to achieve the goals it has set for itself. The full version of the Update Report can be found on the Road Ahead’s website at https://sites.google.com/site/66roadahead/.

Several highlights from the report regarding the outcomes the Road Ahead is working to achieve include:

Increased Collaboration:

• The Road Ahead’s board of directors held its first meeting Feb. 16-17, 2017. Representatives were present from each of the states through which Route 66 runs.

• Dora Meroney, president of the Old Route 66 Association of Texas, was appointed chair of the Road Ahead’s State Association Advocacy Working Group

• Dries Bessels, The Netherlands, agreed to become chairman of the Road Ahead’s International Advisory Group

• The Road Ahead’s Tribal Advisory Group held its first teleconference meeting and began work to identify goals

Effective Promotion:

• HR66 was introduced in Congress to establish a Route 66 100th Anniversary Commission

• The Illinois General Assembly passed – 115 to 0 – a bill to establish an Illinois Route 66 100th Anniversary Commission

• A new Road Ahead Facebook page was launched

• A new Road Ahead website was completed and will be launched in April after final proofing is completed

Purposeful Preservation

• A “Quick Reference Guide” designed to provide Route 66 stakeholders with historic preservation basic information, including available resources, has been uploaded to the Route 66 Road Ahead website.

Increased Economic Vitality

• Pontiac, Illinois, was chosen as an initial case study to use in the creation of a local economic development toolkit

Quality Research & Education

• Work is ongoing to construct two “toolkits” on education or research on Route 66

National Historic Trail Task Force

• HR801 was introduced in Congress to designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail – It has 11 co-sponsors

• The Task Force continues its work to recruit additional co-sponsors

Financial Sustainment Task Force

• To provide potential corporate sponsors with concrete examples of branding/marketing opportunities, the Task Force has initiated discussions/planning with the Academy for Digital Entertainment at Breda University in The Netherlands to develop an augmented reality-based gaming/marketing app. It has also initiated discussions/planning with the Arts Technology Program at Illinois State University to develop an augmented reality-based directional/gaming app.

Questions or requests for additional information may be forwarded to: Bill Thomas, Chairman, The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership theroadahead@gmail.com

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