Bill > SJR0012

This resolution formally recognizes 2026 as the Illinois Route 66 Centennial Year, celebrating the historic highway's 100-year legacy and cultural significance. The resolution highlights Route 66's importance as the "Main Street of America" and "Mother Road" that connected Chicago to Santa Monica, California, serving as a critical transportation corridor since 1926. Notably, Illinois played a unique role in the highway's history by being the first state to pave the entire route and serving as its starting point in Chicago. The document emphasizes Route 66's broader historical importance, including its role during the Prohibition era and the Great Depression, its impact on small businesses and tourism, and its cultural significance in American art and literature. By declaring 2026 as the centennial year, the resolution aims to encourage communities, historical societies, and state agencies to organize commemorative events and educational initiatives that honor the highway's rich heritage and its enduring symbolism of adventure, freedom, and economic opportunity.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=12&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SJR&SessionID=114&GA=104