Route 66 National Historic Trail designation reintroduced in U.S. House

Jun. 2—Third time's the charm for the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act to become a law, said Bill Thomas, chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, who strongly believes Congress will pass the legislation this time.

"We're going to assume that the old saying will be applicable," he said.

The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership — made up of representatives from each state Route 66 passes through — aims to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as an icon and travel destination through partnerships for promotion, preservation, research and education.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., reintroduced HR 8240 in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday with U.S. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif., as the co-sponsor. Both lawmakers have expressed the vitality of preserving and restoring Route 66 for current and future generations.

After passing the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, the bill has received language changes and bipartisan support. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate, where a few language changes were made before it was passed in August 2020. But the bill came to a standstill that year.

Despite the delays in Congress, Mother Road advocates are continuing to push toward Route 66 becoming the next National Historic Trail before its centennial birthday in 2026.

"It's essentially the same language that was in there before and the same language that was used in the Senate the last time it unanimously passed out of the Senate, so I have very high hopes this time," Thomas said.

The bill would amend the National Trails System Act to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, making it a protected region of the U.S., and provide grant opportunities for preservation efforts.

It would become the 20th National Historic Trail under the National Park Service, if approved.

"Route 66 is a crucial transportation artery that connects America's heartland to the west," LaHood said in a statement. "The Mother Road provides powerful economic development tools for communities throughout Illinois, creating jobs and opportunity for 18th District residents. Designating Route 66 as a National Historic Trail would provide this highway with a permanent program to preserve, promote, and economically develop it."

Established in November 1926, Route 66 stretches approximately 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. It not only provided an essential corridor from the Midwest to Southern California but also helped breathe life and economic development into rural towns along the way.

Small towns opened shops, motels and gas stations that pumped revenue into local economies just as the nation's car culture took off. Route 66 was decommissioned as a U.S. highway in 1985.

"Providing critical funds to be used in close coordination with cities and stakeholders, our legislation will help rehabilitate, improve, and preserve the legacy of the iconic road, benefiting millions of residents and boosting our economic recovery," Napolitano said in a statement.