MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Tuesday, March 1, 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 8-10 inches of snowfall in Boston. The observatory opened two hours late, so various agencies had plenty of time to clear the paths before I got to them, and they did, despite the fact that it was still snowing, at least when I left home.

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
All of the hills were almost totally bare, but there was packed powder over ice along the base of Hemlock Hill.
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
The shoulder wasn't plowed to the curb, but there looked like there was a good clear zone outside the fog line.
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
The path was plowed before the snow stopped, and there was at least an inch of fresh snow since, plus some drifting. It was shallow enough to get through from Kelly Circle to Route 9. On the hill north of Perkins St., there was quite a bit 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
Both the bike and pedestrian paths looked clear from Route 9. They are probably plowed to the parking lot near Chestnut St., but not quite all of the way to Perkins St.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
There was a mixture of bare pavement, packed snow, and slush. It was bikeable, but not always as easy as it could be. It should be clear by the evening commute.
B.U. Bridge
The west sidewalk was totally clear by late morning. I couldn't tell that it was plowed from across the street, but there was bare pavement on both approaches and only a dusting of fresh snow on the bridge.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The path was plowed before the snow stopped from the B.U. Bridge to Hawthorn St. (past Harvard Square). It was bikeable but not always easy. The plow almost entirely missed the curb cut on the west side of the Cottage Farm Pumping Station entrance; watch out! There is still some ice between River St. and Western Ave., but there is also a strip of bare pavement most of the way through. Upstream from Harvard Square, the Memorial Drive plows seem to have pushed a lot of snow onto the path, so it's rough going.

Thank the DCR for plowing path after snowstorms, 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
Plowed to bare pavement, probably by Harvard.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
No report 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 here and there.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Some lanes have not yet emerged from the parking offsets caused by the January blizzard, but this storm doesn't look like it covered up any of the lanes that were clear already.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
No report yet.
Minuteman Bikeway
From Cambridge through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford
Each town
Not checked yet.
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 yet.