MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Thursday, January 20, 2005

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 day, another 3-4 inches of snow. It fell cold and light, so it was easy to shovel and should be easy to plow, except for the fact that it drifts pretty well. I had an early morning appointment in Newton, so I got to see that the Charles River paths weren't plowed on either side of the river yet. By the time I left for home, the Cambridge side was plowed, as were the Boston and Brookline paths. As major path use occurs during the morning commute, the paths really should be plowed by 7:00am, like the roads are.

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
By Thursday afternoon, there was lots of bare pavement on the flat parallel to the Arborway, but Bussey hill was packed powder and looked slippery.
Arborway "Bike Lanes"
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
1 mile of wide paved shoulder which is unmarked but usually clear of parked cars during rush hour
Boston Parks and Harvard University
Clear by Thursday night.
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 and sanded by the time I biked through on Thursday evening. There was a lot of drifting northeast of Jamaica Pond and at the entrance to the Kelly rink site near Willow Pond Ave., so you have to take care when headed north. There was drifting near Daisy Field and Leverett Pond, too.
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 Brookline side of Olmsted park (at least from Rt. 9 to Willow Pond Rd.) was plowed, but had a covering of snow on it.
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, sanded, and maybe salted a bit. There was usually a bit of bare pavement to ride on, but sometimes only packed powder.
B.U. Bridge
The west sidewalk was all bare pavement.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
They ran the Snowcat through, at least from the B.U. Bridge to the Eliot Bridge on the Cambridge side. There was a lot of drifting near the the Weekes Foot Bridge, and some near the Cottage Farm pumping station, but otherwise it was bare or nearly bare pavement except for the patch of ice just west of River St.

Let the DCR know they should keep plowing the path after each storm at their feedback web page.

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
The riverside path was so clear that I took it all the way to Hawthorn St. and skipped this path, though I'm sure it is clear.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Melnea Cass Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path
Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment
Not checked yet, but probably not plowed.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
This path is usually not plowed.
If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know at their feedback web page.
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 yet, but probably plowed.e here and there.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
The snow was light enough that cars parked pretty close to the curb. The paths on Mt. Auburn St (outbound from Harvard Square) and Hawthorn St. were pretty clear.
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
Not checked yet, but probably plowed from Alewife to Arlington Center.
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
Not checked yet.