Chandler kicks off initiative to keep 66 clean

Chandler Mayor Kent McVey encouraged community leaders to join his Chandler Initiative to help keep Route 66 clean in the run-up to the 2026 Centennial celebration. “Wherever you go into a little community and it’s spotless. And really, you go, ‘This is really a neat community.’ I want that for us,” the mayor said. “When people come on this Route 66 Centennial, I mean, we’re going to have a lot of traffic… We need to put our best foot forward.” McVey hosted a lunch meeting on April 29, inviting representatives from civic organizations and businesses in town, where he laid out the plan for the initiative. The idea is that groups or businesses will adopt one of 12 sections along Route 66 through Chandler. During the 18-month commitment, the group will be responsible for cleaning up the section and keeping it tidy. Each quarter, a group of judges will go through each section and assign points based on the work done. At the end of the year, the group with the most points will win a dinner for up to 50 people and public recognition, according to McVey. He urged the leaders to get their groups involved. “We would greatly appreciate it as a city. I think it’s really important. We’re on the move to great things,” he said. “We really are. And I think when people look at cities, they also look at how involved the citizens are. And I think that this is something we can do to show our involvement.” McVey said that taking care of the section can include picking up trash, trimming, and cleaning up the gutters. The City of Chandler will provide safety vests and trash bags and pick up the trash.

This is the latest phase in the plan that McVey launched in January. He visited with Gifted and Talented students at Park Road Elementary, seeking their involvement. The students evaluated Route 66 through town and divided it into sections. They then devised a competition to keep the area clean.

Interested businesses and groups have until June 15 to adopt a section. The adoption period starts on July 1. They can contact City Hall for more information.

City Manager Jason Orr also gave more information on the upcoming project to turn the space next to the Interpretive Center into a park and other Route 66 grant projects. He said it would be an outdoor event space, mentioning the idea of having a spot for food trucks as well. The city won a $650,000 Oklahoma Route 66 Commission grant for the project and is matching $150,000, bringing the full budget for the park to $800,000.

He added that the City of Chandler plans to reapply for grants from the commission to rehab the pool and Rainbow Park, as well as the area around the buffalo statue near City Hall. They previously submitted a proposal for a $2 million grant for the pool and Rainbow Park, and a $350,000 proposal for the area known as Imel Park by City Hall.