Two senators introduce Route 66 National Historic Trail legislation

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced legislation today that would name Route 66 a National Historic Trail under the National Park Service. The bill is S.3609, known as the Route 66 Historic Trail Designation Act. The U.S. House of Representatives advanced similar legislation earlier this year. According to a news release … Continue reading Two senators introduce Route 66 National Historic Trail legislation

Route 66 Crossroads organization to focus on upcoming centennial

Route 66 Crossroads, a new nonprofit organization based in Kingman, Arizona, will focus on the highway’s 2026 centennial among its goals to boost tourism and economic opportunities for communities along the Mother Road. Route 66 Crossroads, a federally recognized nonprofit that formed March 1, stated in a news release last week: The organization will be … Continue reading Route 66 Crossroads organization to focus on upcoming centennial

Stories on Preserve Route 66 trip drew potential audience of 1.1 billion

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership a few days ago issued its third-quarter report. Among the interesting nuggets is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preserve Route 66 road trip generated more than 1,000 news stories and drew a potential audience of 1.15 billion. Here are the tidbits from the report: — The National Trust’s … Continue reading Stories on Preserve Route 66 trip drew potential audience of 1.1 billion

UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it

The fate of an original section of Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, remains up in the air after the Kum & Go convenience-store chain recently bought the property on which it sits. The Springfield News-Leader reports the piece of road on 2.9 acres on the southeast corner of Glenstone Avenue and Kearney Street (map here) … Continue reading UPDATED: Original section of Route 66 to be paved over after convenience-store chain buys it

A look ahead on Route 66 on its 91st birthday

Historic U.S. Highway 66, better known to the rest of the world as Route 66, marked its 91st birthday today. Some debate rages on whether Nov. 11 can be called the Mother Road’s birthday. A few sources give it as April 30, which was when road officials in Springfield, Missouri, in 1926 assigned the number … Continue reading A look ahead on Route 66 on its 91st birthday

Long to-do list for Route 66: The Road Ahead group

The Route 66: The Road Ahead Partnership exited its second annual board of directors meeting Feb. 15-17 in Tulsa with a lengthy to-do list — including a Route 66 navigational app and funding for preservation project — for the months ahead. In addition to approving a 2018 budget and a five-year budget, the group approved … Continue reading Long to-do list for Route 66: The Road Ahead group

U.S. senator who shepherded Route 66 legislation dies

Former longtime U.S. senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico, who introduced and shepherded several key pieces of Route 66 legislation, died Wednesday in Albuquerque after setbacks from abdominal surgery. He was 85. Several obituaries about the six-term Republican lauded him for his bipartisanship and his mastery of budget, tax and energy issues until he retired … Continue reading U.S. senator who shepherded Route 66 legislation dies

Congressman introduces bill to make Route 66 a National Historic Trail

A congressman from Illinois has introduced a bill that would designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail under the auspices of the National Park Service. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) recently introduced bill H.R. 801 to amend the National Trails System Act to create a Route 66 National Historic Trail. U.S. Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Calif.), a senior … Continue reading Congressman introduces bill to make Route 66 a National Historic Trail

Neon sign returns to Kingman’s Route 66 for first time in nearly 70 years

This week, a neon sign on Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona, that was taken down during the late 1940s was returned to the Mother Road in the same city where it was erected. Route 66 author Jim Hinckley explained in an email: The sign stood on Chadwick Drive. This road carried National Old Trails Highway … Continue reading Neon sign returns to Kingman’s Route 66 for first time in nearly 70 years

Oklahoma senator targets Route 66 program as wasteful

The good news is U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, long an enemy of the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, retired early this year. The bad news is his successor, Sen. James Lankford, has picked up Coburn’s schtick and is calling for the program’s repeal. For years, Coburn published a yearly report of alleged waste in … Continue reading Oklahoma senator targets Route 66 program as wasteful