The first round of U.S. Bike Route 66 signs have been installed and unveiled in Tulsa. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum hosted Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell, INCOG, bicycle advocates and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation at Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curious on 66 Tuesday to unveil the new signs.
The new signs will be placed where it is safe for bicycles to ride, including sections on city streets or Route 66 segments with paved shoulders.
“One of the things that is so special about Route 66 is that this road is for everybody, no matter who you are or where you’re coming from, it unites us,” Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell said. “Route 66 can be everything that we want it to be and everything that we dream about in the state of Oklahoma.”
The signs will highlight the 400-mile route starting along the Kansas border in Ottawa County, pass through Tulsa and Oklahoma City, before ending along the Texas border in Beckham County. Nearly 50 signs will be installed in the Tulsa Metro Area.
“Here in Tulsa, the Capital of Route 66, we are also designating our section of the Mother Road as part of U.S. Bicycle Route 66,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “As Route 66 approaches its centennial, this road that began as a highway for motor vehicles is now a route enjoyed by cyclists as well.”
The U.S. Bike Route designation comes after more than two years of work by lawmakers, state and local agencies, bicycling advocates and route 66 advocates, as well as with approval from the Oklahoma Transportation Commission and Federal Highway Administration.
The designation and signage will help Oklahoma connect to an 18,000-mile national network of bicycle routes, including an already designated portion of USBR 66 in Kansas and Missouri. ODOT plans to work with more cities along the historic route to get more US Bike Route 66 signs installed ahead of the centennial in 2026.
“Route 66 is an iconic road, not just in Oklahoma but worldwide, and we are excited to get more people out enjoying everything it has to offer,” Secretary of Transportation and Director of ODOT
Tim Gatz said. “We hope this will help get Oklahomans and tourists out exploring the mother road, in a car, on a motorcycle or a bicycle.”
Lt. Gov. Pinnell serves as the chair of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission and Sec. Gatz serves on the national Route 66 Centennial Commission.
The signs are provided to local communities for no cost by ODOT. To request signs, please email stemplin@odot.org.
