Route 66 has had many lives, from the Dust Bowl era to the so-called “golden years” to the modern era of revitalization. Throughout the decades, it has served as a corridor of travel for more than just automobiles. The famous Bunion Derby footrace took place in 1928, just two years after the road was established! As the fame of the highway increased, so did the variety of ways people explored it. Bicycling has long been a part of the road’s history, and parts of the corridor have been federally designated as a national cycling route: US Bicycle Route 66, or USBR66.
History of USBRS
The federal bicycle route system was established in 1978 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the same organization that handles the numbering of interstates and US Highways. The first two USBRS were established in 1982: US Bicycle Route 1 from North Carolina to Virginia and US Bicycle Route 76 from Illinois to Virginia. These were the only established routes until 2011, when eight additions were made to the system. More additions were made over the next decade, including the first USBR 66 designation in 2018.
The first segment of Route 66 that was designated as a national bike route covered 358 miles covering the states of Missouri and Kansas. In 2021, California was added. Oklahoma’s designation was approved in 2022. Although Illinois has bike route signage, that is currently a state initiative and not folded into the national designation.
US Bike Route 66 sign unveiled in Baxter Springs, Kansas - November 2019
Oklahoma’s Bike Route 66
The process for getting Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 designated brought several groups to the table. Bike Oklahoma worked with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and other advocates, including State Representatives John Talley and Carol Bush and the Route 66 Alliance. Each section of the route had to be approved by appropriate jurisdictions in each city, state, and county.
It’s important to call out that USBR 66 runs along or parallel to Historic Route 66 whenever possible, but does not STRICTLY follow the road. In some areas, local decisions were made to increase cyclist safety by choosing nearby alternate corridors. In Oklahoma, the most notable section where USBR66 diverts from the historic alignment between El Reno and Bridgeport.
The first US Bike Route 66 sign in Oklahoma was placed in Tulsa in May of 2023. More signs will be going up throughout the year along the entire corridor. For a map of the route, see below:
Photos courtesy of Richard Stephens, Jr.
Edmond’s Cycle 66 has become a premier cycling event in Oklahoma, celebrating the Mother Road’s intersection with cyclist culture. In just two years, Edmond’s Route 66 cycling tour blossomed into a regional event. The 2022 event grew by 50%, bringing riders in from eleven states and one foreign country! 100% of the participation fees were donated to charity, including the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.
