MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Sunday, December 15, 2013 (with updates to December 16)

Bike paths and lanes are integral parts 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. If they are not plowed while the snow is still soft, paths with significant foot traffic become unskiable within a day, and remain a mess for everyone until the ice melts.

Last week, we had a brief taste of winter, with snow, rain, and ice. Some paths were plowed, but warmth equalized conditions pretty rapidly. Last Monday night's freeze prompted me to change my tires to studded ones on Tuesday morning, and they have come in handy ever since.

Saturday opened with very cold temperatures, but fairly clear roads and paths for a ride to the Egleston Square Winter Market in Jamaica Plain. It started showing by late afternoon while I drove(!) out to the suburbs to cut a Christmas tree, and I multi-moded by bike and Orange Line downtown for Boston Common lights and a movie. Biking on unplowed local streets on the way home late Sunday night was fun, but getting going early Sunday morning for 9:15 choir rehearsal was a challenge, though by then, Boston had done a pretty good job of plowing major and connecting streets. I was pleased to get to practice before neighbors who had to shovel out their car. The snow had kept up through the night, through a partial thaw with drizzle on Sunday morning into a deep freeze Sunday afternoon through Monday. The succession of thaws and freezes, rain, snow, and ice, made it hard for various government agencies to clear the streets, let alone the paths, as you will see from the summary below.

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

Arnold Arboretum
1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections
Boston Parks and Harvard University
Not checked, but I'm sure that it was plowed, though the surfaces will be icy,
Blackwell Footpath
A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance
Boston Parks and Harvard University
I didn't check it, but it is certainly not plowed and icy
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
They were pretty clear right after the snow, but got snowier and icier as people shoveled off their cars into the bike lanes, which happened throughout Metro Boston.
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,
Not checked.
Franklin Park Roads
Much of the park loop road is closed to motorized traffic and there are bike lanes on the main road.
Boston Parks and Public Works Departments
Not checked
Centre/South Bike Lanes
A mile of bike lanes through the heart of Jamaica Plain from Jackson Square and the Southwest Corridor to Forest Hills
Boston Public Works Department
Clear with occasional snow shoveled onto them and cars parked further from the curb into the bike lane.
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
Boston Parks and Recreation plowed it early in the storm, and sanded and salted some of it, but it was still very icy on Monday morning even though it started the weekend totally clear.
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
Not checked, but partial blocked even before the storm.
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.
Parkway and Netherlands Rd. Contraflow bike lanes
Two one-block contra-flow lanes plus and contraflow cycle track
Brookline Park Department and DPW
The bike lanes were pretty clear by Monday morning, but the contraflow cycle track was totally unplowed and impassible.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Plowed, sanded, salted, and pretty rideable, with a few icy patches on Monday morning.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Mostly clear on Monday morning.
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Not checked.
B. U. Bridge Bike Lanes
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Fairly clear on Monday morning
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
Plowed with occasional icy patches on Monday 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
The southbound lane was narrowed a lot by snow, with width varying from negative on the Cambridge end to almost completely plowed in the middle of the bridge.
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Cambridge-side path was very icy and rough from the B.U. Bridge upstream on Monday morning; I bailed at Magazine St.
J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked but probably plowed.
N. Harvard St. bike lanes
Boston Boston DPW
Not checked, but probably plowed at least partway.
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
Not checked, but probably clear
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Plowed smoother than the Charles River path, but very icy on Monday night. I wouldn't recommend riding it without studs.
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.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked.
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, but probably plowed
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Often under snow and/or parked cars, but Mass. Ave. lanes were fairly clear in Harvard Square. Lanes on smaller streets tended to be clearer, though the main travel lanes were narrowed, so you have to take the lane anyway.
Vassar St. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Main St. to Memorial Drive (almost)
City of Cambridge
Not checked.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet
Concord Ave. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Belmont to Fresh Pond Parkway
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
From Bruce Kulik (2013-12-13): Mostly plowed between Mill Street Arlington and through Lexington. Some small pockets of ice scattered throughout the trail. Bridges are generally icy but ridable. Bridge across 128/95 is treacherous.
NOT PLOWED IN BEDFORD between Westview and Wiggins. Currently covered with ice. DETOUR WB on trail: SB on Westview, WB on Summer/Maguire, NB on Wiggins to reconnect. Reverse if EB on trail. Wiggins to Depot Square in Bedford plowed.
There was enough residual ice on the trail this evening, that I bailed at Rt 4 in Lexington, on the way back home to Medford, and took Mass Ave the rest of the way though Lexington and Arlington.

From Rod Holland (2013-12-15): Drove by several of the at-grade road crossings of the Minuteman in Arlington and Lexington this evening. Looks like it was plowed, but also looks pretty icy. Some road crossings in Arlington look messy. Studs are probably a good idea.

Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked.
Stony Brook Reservation
Hyde Park
4+ miles of paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation 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.
Former Metropolitan State Hospital
Belmont, Waltham
paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation 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, has reported 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
No report.