One day after the bill was introduced, an Oklahoma state senator withdrew a proposal to rename a stretch of Route 66 as President Donald J. Trump Highway after the measure received widespread criticism from Route 66 fans and fellow lawmakers, including Trump’s supporters.
State Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) said Wednesday he would withdraw the plan or move it to some other highway that’s not Route 66, according to the Tulsa World.
He and state Sen. Marty Quinn (R-Claremore) announced the bill Tuesday to rename a short segment of Route 66 in Ottawa County after President Trump.
The Oklahoma Route 66 Association weighed in Wednesday, stating that renaming the road would “add confusion” to travelers. Below is the complete statement:
Association President Rhys Martin, who wrote the statement, stated in a text the Trump proposal is different than Route 66 being called the Will Rogers Highway many years ago:
Route 66 has been colloquially called the Will Rogers Highway since right after his death in the 1930s. In 1952, there was a big celebration about the nickname with a motor tour and all sorts of fanfare. Our concern is official naming of sections of the road. The additional signage could cause confusion with travelers … as you’re well aware, signage is the #1 wayfinding issue across all eight states. It also reduces the impact that the name Route 66 has all on its own. The Will Rogers Highway, the Mother Road, the Main Street of America — these are all nicknames. It’s the official designation that we spoke out against.
Martin added the Oklahoma Department of Transportation uses established guidelines for renaming sections of highways. One is the person the road is to be named must be deceased.
Michael Wallis, chairman of the Tulsa-based Route 66 Alliance, spoke in favor of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association’s stance and added: “Route 66 is not red or blue. The Mother Road’s color is purple.”
Wallis is held in high esteem in Tulsa and Route 66 for his books, including the seminal “Route 66: The Mother Road,” and his role as the Sheriff of Radiator Springs in the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated movie “Cars.”
The Route 66 Association of Missouri, a neighboring state to Oklahoma, also stated its opposition to the bill:
State Rep. Ben Loring (D-Miami) wrote a letter to the editor in Dahm’s hometown newspaper, the Claremore Progress, against the bill:
“I do not understand why Sen. Nathan Dahm and Sen. Marty Quinn have filed legislation that would jeopardize tourism in this part of the state and dishonor one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons. This highway, from Chicago to Santa Monica, is already designated the ‘Will Rogers Highway,’ which is great for all Oklahomans. This is not at all a political issue. It is entirely an economic issue. Changing the name could have a significant negative impact on tourism in this area.
“The combination of Ottawa and Delaware Counties are number three in the State behind Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties as far as tourism dollars being spent here. Route 66 is a huge part of that. We have the Coleman Theatre, the longest Main Street on the Mother Road, both of the two longest stretches of the original roadway and the Ku-Ku restaurant all right here on Route 66. All of the mayors whose communities would be affected and the County Commissioners join me in opposition to this idea. This is not a political party divide. Many Americans with strong political beliefs and foreign tourists would avoid this section of Route 66 simply because of this legislation if it goes through. That is not fair to these communities. Please pick another road, and I would suggest one in your own Districts.”
Since the story broke Tuesday afternoon and was posted on the Facebook page of Route 66 News, it logged more than 200 comments and dozens of shares. I read all the comments, and I doubt more than a half-dozen people supported the bill.
Even Trump supporters stated their opposition, saying the New York native has no tangible links to Route 66 or its history.
The final straw for the bill, however, probably came from Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who tweeted Wednesday in response to a newspaper reporter in Oklahoma City:
I’ve spoken with Sen Dahm since learning about this legislation & he’s very willing to look at other hwys. I agree w/ our Route 66 Assoc that calling the road anything other than Historic Route 66 adds confusion & dilutes the uniquely American experience that the hwy represents.
— Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell (@LtGovPinnell) November 6, 2019
The Tulsa World caught up with Pinnell at a Route 66-related ceremony on Wednesday in Tulsa. He said:
“I don’t want Historic Route 66 called anything except Historic Route 66. I don’t care if you want to call it Mother Teresa Highway or Donald Trump Highway, there is only one thing to call it, and that’s Historic Route 66.”
The opposition by Pinnell, a Republican, isn’t trivial. In addition to him being Oklahoma’s No. 2 official, he leads the state’s tourism division. He’s scheduled to lead a Route 66 summit in the Sooner State next month, and he didn’t need distractions such as that bill.
President Trump, who is active on Twitter, had no reaction to the bill or its apparent withdrawal as of Wednesday night.
(Image of an Oklahoma Route 66 sign by scott.tanis via Flickr)
This made my day. One small step for man, one giant leap for Historic Route 66!