Illinois moves ahead with Route 66 bicycle routes

According to an article in the Pontiac Daily Leader, a draft of a 368-mile bicycle route along historic Route 66 through Illinois has been completed:

Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, said that comments and suggestions for the route, including revisions to it, will be accepted until mid-February.

"I'm pleased with the route," he wrote in response to an e-mail from the Daily Leader. "It highlights the towns and historical icons that made Route 66 a worldwide attraction, on roads that are appropriate for bike touring. The local cyclists who recommended specific roads in this area did a great job." . . .

A "cue sheet" for guiding riders on the Chicago-to-Mississippi River trail in Illinois lists the options for advanced riders, with warnings such as that those sections of 66 are "busier" or "much busier" with motor-vehicle traffic than the roads on the main route in that particular area. The trail is intended for riders of varying abilities.