MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Bikepaths are an integral part of the bicycle transportation network, and these reports are provided to encourage their use by bicyclists who might otherwise not venture out in the snow, and to encourage their proper maintenance (which includes snow plowing) by the responsible agencies given in bold type below. Paths with significant foot traffic become unskiable within a day, and remain a mess for everyone if they are not plowed while the snow is still soft.

It snowed another 4-6 inches starting Wednesday morning, then turned to rain during the afternoon, creating a real mess. The Charles RIver Path was hard to ride in the morning, but flooded in the evening. Leverett Pond seemed to come up through the snow to the Jamaicaway Path, covering it with several inches of water, but I made it home. And then everything froze, so Thursday morning was really slippery.

Please send updates and reports on the conditions of other paths in Massachusetts to Doug Mink.

Arnold Arboretum
1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections
Boston Parks and Harvard University
The roads are all plowed, mostly to a packed powder surface in the morning. Along Bussey Brook, the road stayed icy all week, though the Arboretum put down sand along the edge after a couple of days because people couldn't even walk there. Studded bike tires were required! The hills melted off after a day, though.
Blackwell Footpath
A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance
Boston Parks and Harvard University
Not checked.
Arborway "Bike Lanes"
1 mile of wide paved shoulder which is unmarked but usually clear of parked cars during rush hour
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
A bit over half the width was plowed, enough to mostly stay off the main travel lanes almost to the Forest Hills entrance from the crosswalk.
Jamaicaway Bikepath
1.5 miles of mostly bike/ped-separated paths paralleling a busy 4-lane parkway; two intersections with traffic lights
Boston Parks Deparment
The flat part along Jamaica Pond was solid rough ice on Thursday, but it was broken up quite a bit by Friday. The hill between Perkins St. and Willow Pond was salted and felt pretty safe. From Willow Pond to Route 9, the path was slippery Thursday, but fairly clear by Friday.
Perkins St. Bike Lanes
1.5 miles of mostly bike/ped-separated paths paralleling a busy 4-lane parkway; two intersections with traffic lights
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The eastbound bike lanes are almost entirely snowed in. The westbound ones are a bit clearer
Olmsted Park Paths
3/4-mile of mostly bike/ped-separated paths built over Riverdale Road, across Leverett Pond from the Jamaicaway.
Brookline Park Department
Not checked, but they looked icy.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Icy for a few days, but gradually clearer. The path was salted only around the Longwood Green Line stop.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Fairly clear
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Covered with snow or parked cars pushed out from the curb by snow
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Wednesday morning, I made my way up the river from the B.U. Bridge to Harvard Square, but it was hard. Wednesday night, the trail had a couple of inches of water on top of the ice and was worse. I left it alone for the rest of the week.
J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Clear by Friday.
Lincoln St. to Cambridge St. MassPike Bridge
Bike/Ped connection from Harvard Square to Allston's Harvard Ave. district via Franklin St.
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
Slushy Wednesday night, but totally clear by the following Monday.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Not checked.
Melnea Cass Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path
Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment
Not checked yet, but probably not plowed.
Harborwalk (Fort Point Channel)
Bike/Ped path along Fort Point Channel
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
City of Boston
Not checked yet.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The DCR often plows this path, but not always right away. If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know (or thank them when it is plowed) at 617-626-4973 or contact DCR Community Affairs. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.
Somerville Community Path
Wide rail trail from Davis Square to Cedar St.
City of Somerville
Not checked, but probably plowed.
Red Line Linear Park Path
Alewife MBTA station to Davis Square over Red Line
City of Cambridge City of Somerville
Not checked but probably plowed.
Danehy Park Paths
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Wherever there are parked cars, they seem to be far enough out into the street that most of the lanes are gone. Where there aren't any parked cars, the path was often covered with piles of snow, because there wasn't anywhere else to put it.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
No report yet
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
No report yet.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
No report yet, but the Arlington section should be plowed. The Lexington section is no longer plowed. See the details at at http://www.clearthetrail.org/
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
These paths aren't plowed.
Stony Brook Reservation
Hyde Park
4+ miles of paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
These paths aren't plowed because they get relatively little transportation use and because they are used by cross-country skiers like me. See my photos of the path on Monday at http://www.masspaths.net/stonybrook/
Assabet River Rail Trail
Hudson and Marlborough, so far
Town of Hudson, City of Marlborough (so far)
Not checked, but probably not plowed.
Northampton Bikeway
East-west across the City of Northampton
City of Northampton
Craig Della Penna, who lives next to the path, reports that it is the intention of the DPW to make it passable ASAP after a storm. If the storm is significant, then they plow it repeatedly --sometimes 10-12 times during the course of the storm to ensure its usability.
Norwottuck Rail Trail
Northampton to Amherst
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of State Parks and Recreation
No report yet.