MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Thursday, January 13, 2011

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.

Yesterday, we had somewhere between 14 and 16 inches of pretty heavy snow in Boston. It mostly fell in the morning, but there were snow showers until evening. Since much of the snow which has fallen since Christmas is still on the ground, we are losing a lot of bike lanes and the paths are not as clean as cyclists would like. Due to an appointment north of Boston, I didn't get to ride my normal bikepaths Thursday morning, but I hit a few I usually miss and picked up some more on my way home Thursday night.

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
Friday morning, there was hard-packed snow throughout, with more patches of ice than of bare pavement.
Blackwell Footpath
A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance
Boston Parks and Harvard University
This often gets plowed, but I haven't ridden it yet.
Washington St. Bike Lanes
A mile of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and beyond on Belgrade Ave.
Boston Public Works Department
Thursday night, they were clear, but there were a few places where snow at the curb was pushing parked cars out into the bike lanes. Then the cars started parking on Washington St. again. Friday night, most of the south-bound bike lane from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square was blocked by parked cars.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
David Wean reports: The SW corridor on Thursday night had been plowed. From Ruggles to Stony Brook you could see pavement on maybe 80-90%, but there were still significant stretches of ice or thin packed snow. From Stony Brook to Forest Hills it was consistently covered with snow or ice. Fine with studded tires (no deep bumpy ice) but seems as if it won't be rideable with normal tires for a while.
Jamaica Plain Bike Lanes
A mile of bike lanes on various sides of Centre and South Streets from Jackson Square to Forest Hills
Boston Public Works Department
Friday night, the lanes were mostly blocked by parked cars, though away from the business district, they sometimes were clear.
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
Thursday night, the shoulders were totally covered with snow; I got honked at for riding in the right lane. Friday morning, the sidewalk along the Arborway was packed snow and somewhat icy but ridable. Between Murray and Kelly Circles, the west side sidewalk had been plowed by a SnoCat or Bombardier.
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
Thursday night, the path was packed powder on the flats south of Perkins St., but it was clear all of the way north from Perkins St. to Route 9, with a lot of bare pavement and some snow which had fallen from trees. There were some icy patches.
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
Friday morning, most of the lanes on both sides were covered with snow, though some of the northeast-bound side is clear from Prince St. to the north end of the stretch of parking
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
On Friday morning, the bike path was unplowed from Perkins to Willow Pond, but the pedestrian path is plowed. There was a Town of Brookline tractor moving snow, but the bikepath was not clear by evening. From Willow Pond to Route 9, both paths are plowed to packed powder with some long icy patches.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
South of Longwood, the path is still very icy on Friday morning. I couldn't have stayed upright without studded tires. Between Longwood and Park Drive, the path was plowed before the snow stopped, and it can be hard going through loosely-packed snow.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Fairly clear around the B.U. Bridge on Friday morning
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Not checked
B. U. Bridge east sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
The Boston approach is bare pavement, but over the water and on the Cambridge approach, there is a coating of snow, though not much ice on Friday morning.
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
No report, but probably clear
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
No report, but maybe clear
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
From the B.U. Bridge upstream to Hawthorn St., the Cambridge side path is plowed, but there is a significant amound of snow in the path and occasional ice. I only rode the stretch upstream from Harvard Square, but the rest looked bad enough that I avoided it Thursday night and Friday morning. I'l maybe give it a try to the B.U. Bridge Friday night.
New Balance has renewed a sponsorship agreement with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to ensure area runners, joggers and walkers have clear and safe running paths along the Charles River during the 2011 winter season. ... New Balance, recognizing DCRs commitment to outdoor enthusiasts, has pledged to provide funding to support snow removal efforts along the 17-plus mile Charles River path spanning from the Museum of Science area in Cambridge to the Galen Street Bridge in Watertown. Following DCRs normal priorities, the snow removal will be performed by DCR within 24 hours of the completion of a storm. Because the route runs in close proximity to the river bank, there is limited salting and sanding that can be performed, so the DCR and New Balance urge runners to continue to use caution.
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
Plowed
N. Harvard St. bike lanes
Boston Boston DPW
The southbound lane is covered by snow piles almost all of the way from the river to Western Ave., and the northbound lane is only a little bit better. Not much has changed since the Christmas storm.
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
The bridge and approaches are clear.
South Bay Harbor Trail
Bike/Ped path from the Federal Court House up Fort Point Channel to the Southwest Corridor
City of Boston
Not checked yet, but I suspect that the section in front of the Crosstown Development near Mass. Ave. will be done, and the path will be clear where it goes under the Expressway.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Not checked but probably plowed. There is a Bombardier stationed at Pope John Paul II Park which is usually out as soon as the snow stops.
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
Plowed and salted from Alewife station to Mass. Ave. This path was in the best condition of any path I rode Thursday.
Danehy Park Paths
City of Cambridge
Main paths and St. Peters Field path plowed to packed/loose powder. They were bikable.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Main roads are clear, but the bike lanes are pretty much gone, and minor roads still are slippery with snow and some ice. Friday morning, the Brookline St. bike lane was pretty clear, as were the Green St. and Franklin St. unofficial bicycle boulevards parallelling Mass. Ave to Harvard Square.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Chris Porter reports on Friday that it is plowed with icy spots.
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Chris Porter reports that it is plowed on both sides, but on the west side only a thin strip is down to the pavement.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
The Cambridge end was not plowed. Details are usually posted 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
Not checked.
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. There are marked narrow bike lanes on Enneking Parkway through the reservation which are probably clear. The Friends of Stony Brook Reservation is leading a walk from Enneking Parkway at Smith Field Road at 1:00 pm on Sunday, January 30.
Former Metropolitan State Hospital
Belmont, Waltham
paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Not checked yet.
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, but there was a ton of snow out west.