Citing a 1999 state law, a resident of Lebanon, Missouri, recently asked the city council to change Elm Street back to Route 66.
For now, the local Route 66 association declined to take a stand on the issue.
It’s the second time in three years someone asked Lebanon to comply with the law.
The Springfield News-Leader reported:
Howard Fuller wants Lebanon to change the name of Elm Street to Route 66, citing a state law passed in 1999 by the Missouri State Legislature, according to Jay Kirksey, Fuller’s attorney. The statute states that all highways and roadways part of the original U.S. Route 66 should be renamed to Route 66 and “no political subdivision shall designate such portions otherwise.”
Lebanon’s Communications Manager Derek Gean said the city addressed the statute three years ago.
“In 2015, we put out a survey amongst the business owners and residents, asking if they wanted to change the name to Route 66,” Gean said.
The response was no, they didn’t want to rename the street because of the cost in changing paperwork, Gean said.
“We’re just trying to abide by the wishes of our customers and businesses along Elm Street,” Gean said.
With that response, Kirksey replied: “A survey is not the law.”
Gean said Lebanon already recognizes Route 66 in a park on the historic highway. The city recently doubled the number of Route 66 signs on Elm.
Kirksey didn’t say he would file a lawsuit in response to the city’s refusal, but it sounded like he didn’t entirely dismiss the idea, either.
The Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society recently voted to stay neutral on the street-naming issue. It stated in August:
“While the Route 66 Society ultimately desires to have Elm Street renamed Route 66, we see progress by the council and city administration. We are confident this is being addressed and, through due diligence, will happen in a timely manner. The Society does not condone nor support the criticism the mayor has received in recent months regarding this issue. In fact, we’re grateful for the support we have received from the city since the Route 66 Society was founded 16 years ago.”
The full statement by the society to the city council may be read here.
The indisputable fact is, the city of Lebanon is flouting state law and has for nearly 20 years. If it gets sued over this matter, it will lose.
(Image of a Route 66 Historic Byway sign in Missouri by Tony Hisgett via Flickr)
The purpose of naming a road or street is so that it is readily identifiable to residents, the post office, the fire brigade, the police, the ambulance service, etc – not to satisfy some historic society. In the UK there are countless town and city streets that are parts of numbered routes – or have had the route number switched to newer wider roads. Some streets go back to Roman and stagecoach roads. That does not mean that every part of the original A4, or Bath Road should still be named A4 or Bath Road. Common sense needs to rule here. Why not “Elm Street, part of the original Route 66”? After all, it is only a minute part of Route 66.
In the UK there are plenty of roads that once led to railway stations and were called Station Road, but with the closure of the stations the no longer relevant names have been changed.