MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, January 28, 2004

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.

Another thin snowfall fell on Boston on the morning of Wednesday, January 28. Like last week's snow, it was just enough that sidewalks had to be shovelled. It drifted a bit, actually clearing the land along some paths and drifting them over. The City of Boston and the Town of Brookline did a pretty good job, not bare pavement, but very ridable. The Division of Conservation and Recreation seems to have gotten to the Charles River Path, but only after it was so packed down by foot and bicycle traffic that they couldn't scrape it clear.

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

Arnold Arboretum
1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections
Boston Parks and Harvard University
The park roads were plowed, but not to pavement. They actually dropped a bit of sand on the sharp turns north and south of Bussey Hill. The roads took days to clear; the road between Bussey Brook and Hemlock Hill was still icy over a week after it snowed
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
This path was plowed, but not to pavement. There was little enough snow that it was easy to ride right through the bollards at Pine Bank where the path was unplowed. Salt and sand remained from the last storm, so the path was always ridable. By the end of the week, there was a lot of bare pavement.
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
The bike and pedestrian paths were not plowed.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
This path was plowed, but not to bare pavement. It was rideable for its full length. By the end of the week, it was mostly bare pavement.
B.U. Bridge
The sidewalks were mostly plowed by Wednesday evening, but the Cambridge approach remained icy for over a week.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
This path was not plowed until after the snow got packed down by path users. It was rideable, but the shaded areas near the B.U. Bridge remained icy for over a week. Let the DCR know that they should plow the path immediately after a storm on their feedback web page.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
It was unplowed and remained icy for days. I rode it the following Tuesday, and it was finally usable. If you want it plowed, let the DCR know at their feedback web page.
Melnea Cass Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path
Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment
Not checked yet.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
This path is not plowed.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
This time there was not enough snow to force cars away from the curb, so the bikelanes are pretty usable.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Minuteman Bikeway
From Cambridge through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford
Each town
It may be plowed in Arlington, as far as Varnum Street, but don't count on it. The rest of the path westward is unplowed on purpose.
Northampton Bikeway
East-west across the City of Northampton
City of Northampton
No report yet.