U.S. Bicycle Route 66

{{lengths table}}

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|CA || {{convert|239.8|mi|km|disp=table}}

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|OK || {{convert|428.1|mi|km|disp=table}}

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|KS || {{convert|12.9|mi|km|disp=table}}

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|MO || {{convert|343.6|mi|km|disp=table}}

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|Total || {{convert|688|mi|km|disp=table}}

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USBR 66 runs along or parallel to former segments of US 66 for most of its route and also incorporates part of Bicycle Route 66, an Adventure Cycling Route Network corridor. At full length, the route is planned to run {{convert|2,493|mi|km}} from Los Angeles to Chicago.{{cite web |date = March 2, 2015 |title = Bicycle Route 66, 2,493 Miles, & Map Giveaway |url = https://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/blog/bicycle-route-66-2-493-miles-map-giveaway/ |publisher = Adventure Cycling Association |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}

The route begins at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, the historic terminus of US 66. It travels through Los Angeles and the Inland Empire on local streets and part of the Pacific Electric Trail before turning north to follow Interstate 215 and Interstate 15 towards the San Bernardino Mountains. USBR 66 follows Interstate 15 through Cajon Pass and into the high desert, turning east onto Interstate 40 in Barstow, California. It then follows the National Trails Highway to the Arizona state line southeast of Needles, where USBR 66 terminates.{{cite web |title = Route Description: California USBR 66 |date = October 12, 2015 |url = https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/us-bicycle-route-system/maps-and-route-resources/ |publisher = Adventure Cycling Association |accessdate = August 11, 2021 }}

The western end of the route begins at the Texas state line at Texola, Oklahoma. It generally follows the historic alignment of US 66 to Oklahoma City with a notable diversion west of the city. Between Oklahoma City and Kansas the route trends northeast through Tulsa. It continues northeast through the Muscogee Nation and Cherokee Nation Indian reservations. The northeastern end is at the Kansas border near Miami, Oklahoma and Baxter Springs, Kansas.{{Cite web |date = October 12, 2015 |title = USBRS Maps and Route Resources |url = https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/us-bicycle-route-system/maps-and-route-resources/ |access-date = July 5, 2022 |website = Adventure Cycling Association |language = en }}

File:US_69_Alt_at_12th_St_in_Baxter_Springs,_KS.jpg

The route begins at the Oklahoma state line south along US 69 Alternate south of Baxter Springs. It proceeds north along US 69 Alternate through downtown Baxter Springs before diverting to Willow Avenue to follow the old alignment of US 66. It turns east onto K-66 at Riverton and crosses the Spring River. In Galena, USBR 66 leaves K-66 and continues northeasterly on Front Street into Missouri.{{cite web |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |author2 = Missouri Department of Transportation |date = February 19, 2018 |title = Establishment of a New U.S. Bicycle Route: USBR No. 66 |pages = 20–32, 53–58 |url = https://route.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/004_USRN_Part-2-IN-NV.pdf |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}{{google maps |title=U.S. Bicycle Route 66 (Kansas) |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9986886,-94.74066/37.0859689,-94.6179403/@37.0431039,-94.7145166,13z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-94.7409534!2d37.0689256!3s0x87c80d242dc769fd:0x5d9c2dc4e4d0aac1!3m4!1m2!1d-94.6391993!2d37.0761832!3s0x87c871823202681d:0xc9ba69973451c4c1!1m0!3e1?shorturl=1 |link=yes |accessdate=August 19, 2018}}

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USBR 66 follows Highway 66 to Joplin, Missouri. It terminates at the Chain of Rocks Bridge, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that crosses the Mississippi River into Illinois and carried automobiles as part of US 66.

US 66 was created in 1926 as part of the U.S. Highway System and came to be known as the "Mother Road", appearing in various pieces of popular media. It was replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System and decommissioned in 1985.{{cite news |last = Warren |first = Howard |date = December 20, 1985 |title = Route 66, Immortalized in Saga and Song, to Vanish From Maps |page = 4 |work = The Los Angeles Times |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20535894/route_66_immortalized/ |via = Newspapers.com |access-date = August 19, 2018 }} Since then, the highway has been a popular tourist route and used by cities along its route for promotional campaigns.{{cite news |last = Crapanzano |first = Christina |date = June 28, 2010 |title = A Brief History of America's 'Mother Road,' Route 66 |url = http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2000095,00.html |magazine = Time |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}

The US 66 corridor had long been popular with long-distance cyclists, including tourists from outside the United States.{{cite news |date = January 5, 2007 |title = Getting Bicycle Kicks on Route 66 |page = B1 |work = Sonoma Index-Tribune }}{{cite news |last = Winnerman |first = Jim |date = July 13, 2003 |title = Gateway to the Mother Road |page = T1 |work = St. Louis Post-Dispatch }} State and local governments along the route had developed preserved sections of the old highway, along with nearby roads, into multi-use bicycle, pedestrian, and equestrian paths and trails, but the corridor lacked a national designation.{{cite news |last = Pistor |first = Nicholas J. C. |date = June 3, 2007 |title = Cyclists Experience Historic Route in New Way |page = C2 |work = St. Louis Post-Dispatch }} Beginning in 2003,{{cn|date=September 2018}} the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) along with the Adventure Cycling Association developed a U.S. Bicycle Route network plan that was later approved by the former in 2008.{{cite news |last = Woodward |first = Calvin |date = December 31, 2008 |title = New Interstate Road Map Takes Shape for Bicyclists |url = http://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2008/12/31/New-interstate-road-map-takes-shape-for-bicyclists/stories/200812310172 |work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |access-date = August 19, 2018 }} The initial plan outlined a general corridor for U.S. Bicycle Route 66 between Los Angeles and Chicago.{{cite map |author = Adventure Cycling Association |date = November 2009 |title = The United States Bicycle Route System |url = http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/USBRSCorridorMap.pdf |publisher = Adventure Cycling Association |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091227081536/http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/USBRSCorridorMap.pdf |archive-date = December 27, 2009 |access-date = August 20, 2018 }} Earlier versions of the plan had omitted USBR 66, instead splitting it between other routes,{{cite web |date = January 2008 |title = Development of the Corridor Plan for the U.S. Bicycle Route System, Phase 2: Develop Recommended Corridor |page = 12 |url = http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/CorridorPlanDevelopment.pdf |publisher = Adventure Cycling Association |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081209094721/https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/CorridorPlanDevelopment.pdf |archive-date = December 9, 2008 |access-date = September 7, 2018 }} or had an extended version that terminated in Wisconsin.

Cycling advocates and local tourism boards began campaigning for the official designation of USBR 66 in 2013, focusing first on Kansas and Oklahoma. The Adventure Cycling Association later published a bicycle route for the entire US 66 corridor in 2015 and began promoting a U.S. Bicycle Route designation for the corridor.{{cite news |last = Charboneau |first = Michael |date = July 16, 2018 |title = Get Your Kicks Biking Route 66 |url = https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/07/get-your-kicks-biking-route-66/565175/ |work = CityLab |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}{{cite news |last = Bryan Stefanoni |first = Andra |date = April 1, 2013 |title = Cycling Advocates Seeking Route 66 Map Designation |url = http://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/cycling-advocates-seeking-route-map-designation/article_ec2de1b9-d0dc-52a6-9fa1-361f2a12ffb9.html |work = The Joplin Globe |access-date = August 19, 2018 }} In early 2018, the Missouri Department of Transportation and Missouri Federation Bike and Pedestrian Association began petitioning local governments and businesses for their support of the USBR 66 application.{{cite news |last = Johnson |first = Abby |date = January 5, 2018 |title = Bicycling on Route 66? Organizations Hope for Approval as U.S. Bicycle Route |url = http://www.waynesvilledailyguide.com/news/20180104/bicycling-on-route-66-organizations-hope-for-approval-as-us-bicycle-route |work = The Daily Guide |location = Waynesville, Missouri |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}{{cite news |last = Havranek |first = Andrew |date = February 19, 2018 |title = Route 66 Could Become a Designated Bike Route |url = http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Route-66-could-become-a-designated-bike-route-474510763.html |publisher = KYTV-TV |location = Springfield, MO |access-date = August 19, 2018 }} Officials in Kansas also submitted their own application.{{cite news |last = Barker |first = Kimberly |date = February 15, 2018 |title = Missouri, Kansas Work to Secure Mother Road as a National Bicycle Route |url = http://www.joplinglobe.com/news/missouri-kansas-work-to-secure-mother-road-as-a-national/article_84d14d4a-12b6-11e8-b90e-43ca427d4cd2.html |work = Joplin Globe |access-date = August 19, 2018 }} The designation was approved by AASHTO on May 22, 2018.

The Kansas and Missouri sections of USBR 66 was dedicated by transportation officials from both states on June 17, 2018, at Schifferdecker Park in Joplin, Missouri, and was commemorated with a six-day bicycle tour of the route.{{cite news |last = Barker |first = Kimberly |date = June 17, 2018 |title = Weekend Cycling Events Brings Riders Together |url = http://www.joplinglobe.com/news/weekend-cycling-events-brings-riders-together/article_d6274e8a-72ae-11e8-a3aa-b7fbaee39703.html |work = The Joplin Globe |access-date = August 19, 2018 }}

The California section was approved by AASHTO in 2021.{{cite press release |date = August 9, 2021 |title = U.S. Bicycle Route System Adds 2,903 Miles of New Routes in 5 States |url = https://www.adventurecycling.org/about-us/media/press-releases/u-s-bicycle-route-system-adds-2-903-miles-of-new-routes-in-5-states/ |publisher = Adventure Cycling Association |accessdate = August 11, 2021 }}

The Oklahoma section was announced by Adventure Cycling Association on June 28, 2022.{{Cite web |date = June 27, 2022 |title = 3 new routes add 650 miles to U.S. Bicycle Route System |url = https://www.adventurecycling.org/about-us/media/press-releases/3-new-routes-add-650-miles-to-u-s-bicycle-route-system/ |access-date = July 5, 2022 |website = Adventure Cycling Association |language = en }}

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66

Category:Bike paths in California

Category:Bike paths in Kansas

Category:Bike paths in Missouri

Category:U.S. Route 66