MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Sunday, January 11, 2009

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.

This storm dumped 4-6 inches on Boston early on Sunday morning and was pretty much over by late morning. By Monday morning, the paths were plowed, though not as well as I would like. For once, it never warmed up after this snowfall, so the snow stuck around. When the paths melted in the sun, though, they froze icy by nightfall. I was really glad I was riding studded tires this week.

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

Arnold Arboretum
1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections
Boston Parks and Harvard University
The roads were plowed, but only the southeast facing slopes were bare pavement, even after several days. By the middle of the week, the turns were sanded lightly, but the road along Hemlock Hill stayed icy, though the surface was mostly packed powder rather than hard ice.
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 eastbound lane was plowed several feet wide until it approached the Forest Hills entrance and the Arborway offramp. The road widens here, so it's not aweful, but there are cars moving in at a high speed, so it would be safer if it were plowed to the curb.
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
Plowed and sanded to bare pavement much of the time, but there was still some packed powder. On the hill between Perkins St. and Willow Pond, the pavement was bare all of the way. By Thursday, the path was pretty much all bare pavement.
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
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
These lanes were between one and two feet wide along the wall eastbound, but they were usually usable elsewhere.
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 ped paths were plowed, though there was a lot of packed powder. This time the path was plowed 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
Plowed to packed powder with some stretches of bare pavement.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
I only rode a short stretch between Carleton St. and the B.U. Bridge, but the bike lane was totally clear and seemed to be just as good eastward.
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
I didn't ride on the right stretch of Beacon St., but the snow pushed parked cars on Harvard St. halfway across the bike lanes there, and I suspect that the Beacon St. lanes were blocked the same way.
B.U. Bridge
Easy connection to Charles River bikepath Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The west sidewalk is closed due to construction, but the east sidewalk is easier than the road after the snow.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The Cambridge side was plowed from the B.U. Bridge upstream past Hawthorn St. (and probably to the Eliot Bridge), though the surface was mostly packed powder. By mid-week, there was a bare path much of the way, but it wasn't continous.

Ken Cheeseman reported on Wednesday: Starting at Watertown Square on the Boston side of the river it was plowed but a few inches of snow that were mixed up to the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes was on it anyway- rough going. It was like that all the way down Nonantum Road past the ice rink. At the North Beacon Street/Soldiers Field Road intersection the curb cuts and the island were clogged with ice and snow.
From there it was plowed with sections of a foot wide or so with bare pavement. So not bad to Western ave. From western ave it was more of the same. Packed down by runners with scant bare pavement.
At the tunnel that runs under the end of Storrow Drive it was slushy, icy and thick snow up the hill to the bike path along Storrow. Again, the plowing was spotty all the way to the JFK bridge.
Finally at the JFK Bridge there was bit of relief with the path having some pretty clear pavement stretches. The stretch that runs along Storrow between Western Ave and Cambridge St. was bad. At Cambridge Street and after it got much better at long last all the way to the wooden bridge- slippery, icy, slushy bad. but the path after that was quite good all the way to the Arthur Fielder Footbridge.
All in all, not a great commute. Rough going even with studs and 1.9 tires. This run normally takes about 35 minutes tonight it was almost 50 minutes. Still there was a noble attempt to plow most of the path and Boston did a good job, which made it possible but not always passable. I took the streets route home.

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, but packed powder much of the week.
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
This was totally bare pavement by Thursday.
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.
Harborwalk (Fort Point Channel)
Bike/Ped path along Fort Point Channel
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
City of Boston
Not checked yet.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
The DCR often plows this path, but not always right away. If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know (or thank them when it is plowed) at 617-626-4973 or contact DCR Community Affairs. http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.
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
The main paths were bare pavement by Wednesday morning, but the narrower path to St. Peters Field--my Garden St. shortcut--was icy.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
The Mass. Ave. lanes around Harvard Square were OK, but lanes on side streets, tended to be blocked by parked cars.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
No report yet
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
No report yet.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
No report yet, but the Arlington and Lexington sections should be plowed. Details might be posted at http://www.clearthetrail.org/news.htm
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation
These paths aren't plowed.
Stony Brook Reservation
Hyde Park
4+ miles of paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Urban Parks 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.
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, 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.