MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, February 16, 2015 (updated to Monday, February 23)

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.

It started snowing Saturday, turned into a blizzard on Sunday, and kept snowing into Monday, and Boston and environs pretty much shut down with around two more feet of snow on top of the six we already had. Streets have been narrowed and bike lanes have disappeared, sidewalks are barely passable, and bike paths are plowed to sometimes bikable surfaces. In other words, bicycles are definitely the best way to get around!

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 yet, but probably packed powder to ice.
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 yet, but probably close to impassable on a bike.
Roslindale Bike Lanes
Two miles of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and to West Roxbury on Belgrade Ave. and buffered and wide bike lanes along American Legion Highway
Boston Public Works Department
Mostly gone, but the Cummins Highway lanes have remained partly clear.
Centre St. and VFW Parkway Bike Lanes
DCR, plowed by MassDOT
Not checked, but probably snow-covered.
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
Kelly to Murray Circle: Mostly covered by snow.
Murray Circle to Forest Hills: half or more clear and quite usable.
Morton St. Buffered Bike Lanes
Cemetery Rd. to Harvard St.
MassDOT
The bike lanes are buried under three feet of snow, but the buffers are mostly uncovered and usable.
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 yet.
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
Pretty much totally gone under parked cars.
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
Jessica on Monday 2/23: Mixture of bare pavement and ice.
It's been plowed several times, but there has been drifting near the boat house and Daisy Field, and I had to get off and walk. Tuesday, it was icy on the hill between Perkin St. and Willow Pond Ave., though I rode it comfortably without studs. Wednesday, I found that the path next to the Pond was clearer and biked to Chestnut St. and followed the Brookline side to Route 9.
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
Under snow or parked cars, except parts of the southbound lane between Chestnut St. and Parkman Drive.
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
Plowed but lots of loose snow.
Parkway and Netherlands Rd. Contraflow bike lanes
Two one-block contra-flow lanes plus and contraflow cycle track
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Still under a pile of snow from the last storm.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Jessica on Monday, 2/23: Solid ice except under the Longwood Ave bridge, this is not recommended without studs or extreme ice biking experience.
Earlier: Plowed to packed powder, this was more packed down than the paths in Jamaica Plain.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Pretty much gone.
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Harvard St. lanes are covered by snow or cars except near Brookline Village.
B. U. Bridge Bike Lanes
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Totally gone and under lots of snow.
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
Both sidewalks were cleared to bare pavement, but the connections on the Cambridge side aren't very good.
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked yet.
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
The Cambridge approach was very narrow, and I just about had to claim a lane. The main travel lane gets wider on the bridge, and a piece of the bike lane was clear enough to ride in. There was room enough to share with cars on the Boston end. The contraflow lane looked pretty clear.
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: Cleared from Science Park to Mass Ave (probably to BU bridge) Mem Drive is patchy. Mass Ave to Longfellow is ok. Mass Ave to halfway to BU bridge is ok. Not really usable beyond.
Jessica on Tuesday: The path upstream from the BU Bridge looked unbikable, but it looked better downstream, toward the BU Boathouse. I haven't dared the Boston side yet.
Aaron Pik reported on Monday morning: I decided to give the Charles River path (Cambridge Bank) a go this morning, picking it up at the Hawthorne St. traffic signal. It was briefly rideable. As I got beyond that pack of smaller tress growing right along the water the drifted snow piles grew significantly. I was able to plow through a couple that came about halfway up the seat-tube, but when I got into one up over the top of the wheels I was not able to proceed. I walked a bit, but the drifts were thigh-deep in places.

Looking ahead, I could see the whole path was a series of beautiful, wave-like snow drifts. At least to the construction staging area there just before JFK. I crossed Memorial Drive and made my way via JFK park to the roads. JFK park and that little pathway through to the Charles Hotel were nicely cleared.

J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Plowed to packed powder, with fresh snow on Wednesday.
Western Ave. Cycletrack
Cambridge Cambridge DPW
Not checked yet, but it's being used by pedestrians because the city plows it.
Western Ave. Cycletrack
Boston Boston DPW
Not checked yet.
N. Harvard St. bike lanes
Boston Boston DPW
Pretty much totally under three feet of snow.
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
Plowed to nearly bare pavement.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Plowed to packed powder. They were still working on it Tuesday night. I rode it from Forest Hills to Green St. Tuesday morning and from Roxbury Crossing to Jackson Square on Tuesday night.
David Wean reported on Tuesday morning: Path was plowed to packed snow. Rideable with skills or studs. Beginning around Heath Street, there were long patches where the City had blown snow banks from Columbus Avenue over into the path, and it was a foot or more deep in dirty snow. DCR staff was working on it (front end loader, one pickup). I bailed at Roxbury Crossing and took Parker Street in.
South Bay Harbor Trail
Bike/Ped path from the Federal Court House up Fort Point Channel to the Southwest Corridor
City of Boston
Beverley Strain reported on Monday (2/23): South bay Bike Path is clear, but slick from Gillette to Summer St., and there is a path clear at the Children's Museum to the courthouse, but it's very narrow and slick. The connector streets in the area (A St., Melcher, Summer) are cleared, but narrow with on street parking.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Lee Toma reports: The Neponset trail from Brush Hill Road to Stop and Shop was cleared on Monday, and was rideable, but had some icy patches.
The Neponset from Central east was still covered and being used by hikers and snowshoers as of Tuesday night.
Somerville Community Path
Wide rail trail from Davis Square to Cedar St.
City of Somerville
Not checked, but probably bikeable.
Red Line Linear Park Path
Alewife MBTA station to Davis Square over Red Line
City of Cambridge City of Somerville
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: Rough, but walkable and rideable.
Danehy Park Paths
City of Cambridge
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: A little rough, but walkable and rideable.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Sometimes they're slightly usable, like on Brookline St. from the BU Bridge to Central Square, but mostly they're under snow. Some of Mass. Ave. is clear because of selective parking bans.
Vassar St. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Main St. to Memorial Drive (almost)
City of Cambridge
Not checked.
Green St./Franklin St. Bicycle Boulevard
Narrow one-way streets parallel to Mass. Ave. from Central Square to< Harvard Square/I>
City of Cambridge
I've been using Green St. instead of the river paths, and it's been amazingly clear considering that there is nowhere to put the snow. It has been lots worse in past winters.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: erfect. Good for walking and biking all around the pond. Great for dog walkers.
Alewife Brook Trail
DCR
Boardwalk sections aren't plowed. No report on the rest.
Fitchburg Cutoff Trail
DCR
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: Not plowed. Rough pedestrian path. Not rideable.
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
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday morning: Cleared for challenging walking. Not rideable from Terminal Road to Rotary.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
Rod Holland reported on Saturday (2/21): The Minuteman was actually in pretty good shape between Arlington Center and Lexington Center in the early afternoon on Saturday: well plowed, a few very localized problems caused by careless plow or snow-blower operation by people who apparently had other priorities, easy to deal with if you noticed them before hitting them at speed. That's all moot now, with some new snow, perhaps some new ice, a brief thaw, and another freeze coming in rapid succession, but at least it suggests that the next plowing job will proceed from a good baseline.
Jonathan Sainsbury reports on Thursday (2/19) morning: Perfect. Good for walking and biking.
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet
Newton Bike Lanes
City of Newton
On Thursday, Walnut St. lanes were mostly covered by snow, but when they weren't, it was sure nice to have a bit of extra space to go past long lines of cars.
Revere Beach Reservation
Revere
Shared use paths (or very wide sidewalks)
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Northern Strand Community Trail
Everett and Malden
Shared use path
Everett and Malden DPW
No Report.
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. Though after this snowfall, the paths should be pretty bikable, and there usually isn't any ice.
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.