A bill to name Route 66 a National Historic Trail has received a lot of attention in Congress and from the media. But a second Route 66 bill also is quietly advancing through the halls of Washington.
Last week, the U.S. House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced H.R. 66, known as the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act. It now will be voted on by the full House.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke during the committee’s hearing:
An excerpt of Davis’ remarks before the panel:
During World War II, Route 66 transported troops, equipment and supplies to military bases across our country, and was used after the war by thousands of troops returning home to their families. By the 1950s, Route 66 began to see a rise in tourism and became the true symbol of American freedom and independence we all know today.
In April of last year, I went on an extended tour of Illinois’ stretch of Route 66 with my good friend, Representative Darin LaHood, as well as multiple state and local lawmakers. We got to see the enormous economic impact the Mother Road brings to Illinois, providing for thousands of jobs and millions in state and local revenue to support our communities.
The centennial of Route 66 will be an international celebration and the state of Illinois and my district will be ready to welcome travelers from around the world who want to experience the magic of this scenic byway.
Here’s what H.R. 66 seeks to do:
- Creates a 19-member commission to recommend activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026.
- Directs the commission to host a conference on the U.S. Numbered Highway System, marking its 100-year anniversary.
- Directs the Department of Transportation, in consultation with governors of the eight states through which 66 passes, to develop a plan on the preservation needs of Route 66.
According to Skopos Labs, the bill has a 40 percent chance of becoming law.
The Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership generally is supportive of the centennial bill, but it considers the National Historic Trail legislation a higher priority and is devoting much more energy to it.
The U.S. House, by a unanimous voice vote last month, passed historic-trail bill, and the Senate is scheduled to consider it.
(Hat tip to Alton Daily News; image of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington by Phil Roeder via Flickr)
I like it!
I assume that last bullet about the DOT developing a plan for the preservation needs of Route 66 could mean much needed funds for bridges. That would be welcome help.
Folks, it is uber important that Route 66 gets named a National Historic Trail. The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program sunsets in 2019. This means all the grant money and assistance the Route has had for the past 20 years is going to go away. The only option open to the Route for this kind of assistance, and yes, Dyno Dave, for other funds to possibly become available to the Route, is by it being named a National Historic Trail. Please go to the National Historic Preservation Trust website (and Ron has a link to their website in a article on this blog a few days back) and sign the petition there supporting the move to the Trail designation. Then please take the time to WRITE your local congress-people. (Phone calls and emails do not carry the same weight as a letter.) Does not matter where you live in the USA – write your federal legislators and ask them to support HR 66! It takes more than the legislators in the 8 Route 66 states to get this passed, and the Route needs all the help it can get from across the US to get to the National Trail designation. Thank you!