Missouri High Priority Bike/Ped/ADA Projects

Add Route 66 to the U.S. Bicycle Route System (Route 66 bicycle route) (00NAT0008)

Status:

City: Across Missouri.    Route: Route 66    Location: About 400 miles from St Louis to Joplin

Type: Mark/sign route

Description:
Finalize route identification, add Route 66 bicycle route to the U.S. Bicycle Route System, and add wayfinding signs.

Importance:
Route 66 through Missouri is an already existing good and well-used bicycle route through the state. Touring groups and individual Touring bicyclists are already using this route. In addition, many local segments are used as part of local bicycle routes or as part of local bicycle routes. Route 66 can be much more of a tourism draw in Missouri if opportunities like this are made available. IL has created a Route 66 bicycle touring route and map/booklet that is now well used. OK is currently working to do the same. That leaves MO as a 'gap in the system' of a potential nationwide Route 66 bicycle route. Bicyclists and groups who have toured using the existing Route 66 report that it is a good and safe route. The Route 66 route parallels and is often close to I-55 but by using just one short, scenic bypass (shown on the attached map, and which should be shown on maps and marked with signs as a preferred alternate route) it is possible to bicycle across the entire Route 66 in Missouri without once using I-55 shoulders. A Route 66 corridor study is going on right now. Contact is Jerany Jackson, Great River Engineering, "Jerany Jackson" . The corridor study has found support for including the bicycle route option as part of Route 66 corridor improvements. Great River has carefully mapped the entire Route 66 through Missouri as part of the study: http://64.19.60.94/website/Route66/viewer.htm More about the study: http://www.missouri66.org/pressrelease_corridor_update.html According to a bicycle tour leader who has experienced several sections of Route 66, "Missouri's Rt 66 is much more intact and less fragmented than either Illinois or Oklahoma."

Obstacles:
Hwy 96 from Halltown to Carthage has high traffic and very narrow shoulders. This is the most difficult section of Route 66 in Missouri for bicycling. However, the TransAmerica Bicycle Route passese near Route 66 west of Springfield, which will make it easy to map a Route 66 alternate taking the TransAmerica trail west from there and rejoining Route 66 near Joplin. Also, some segments are county or city roads. However the Route 66 corridor management study has been contacting and working with these agencies to create a seamless corridor and work towards adding features like bicycle route markings.

Scores
Need Potential Significance Cost Readiness Total
79 73 75 94 85 80.80

 

 

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Facility Type(s):
·Signage

School:
·Bicycle