MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Friday, March 8, 2013 (with updates to March 11)

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.

I drove home from the National Bike Forum in Washington on Thursday night, the day after the Federal Government closed for a storm which didn't quite happen when the foot of snow which was supposed to fall there turned to rain. Further north, that wasn't true, as it was all snow when I caught up with it on the Palisades Parkway in New York. It snowed all of the way back to Boston, and I had to shovel 4-6 inches of snow off my walk (at 1:30 am) to get the car unloaded. By mid-morning, there were 10 more inches to shovel, and it was still coming down. Eventually, I headed off through the snow to work, following some paths and skipping others. It was gorgeous, and I took a few pictures. By evening, more paths were clear, and by the end of the weekend, just about everything was.

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, but I'm sure that it was plowed, and the surfaces should be pretty clear with the warm weather.
Blackwell Footpath
A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance
Boston Parks and Harvard University
I didn't check it, but it is certainly not plowed
Washington St. Bike Lanes
A mile of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and beyond on Belgrade Ave.
Boston Public Works Department
They were pretty clear by the end of the weekend, except where cars parked far from the curb after the Snow Emergency ended.
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,
Plowed but icy on Friday, but clear by the end of the weekend.
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
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
Mostly clear by Monday, but there is an occasional snow pile to ride around
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
Boston Parks and Recreation did a great job! The path was plowed through the storm on Friday. I rode through an inch of snow, and there was a plow right behind me clearing the pavement. This time, the plow followed the path much better than in February, and I found it all to be rideable.
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
Pretty clear by the end of the weekend, but not on Friday.
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
Not plowed on Friday morning, but plowed by Friday night. Clear and dry by Monday
Parkway and Netherlands Rd. Contraflow bike lanes
Two one-block contra-flow lanes plus and contraflow cycle track
Brookline Park Department and DPW
The bike lanes are only partly there, but growing as the snow melts on Monday. The contraflow cycle track didn't look plowed, but was passable by Monday morning.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Plowed and pretty rideable, though icy Friday night. Dry by Monday.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Mostly clear on Friday morning; probably totally clear by Monday.
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Narrowed by parked cars, but usually there.
B. U. Bridge Bike Lanes
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Partly there on Friday morning; clear by Friday night.
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
No plowing by noon on Friday, but clear by Monday morning.
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
No report, but probably clear
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
No report, but maybe clear
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Cambridge-side path was clear from the B.U. Bridge past Harvard Square by Monday morning, but it is closed for sewer construction just west of Western Ave. during the day. Aaron Pikcilingis reports on March 13: The Cambridge side of the Charles River path was totally clear from JFK to the BU bridge this morning and the construction by Western avenue seems to be complete (there's still a compressor or something there running, but the detour out into Memorial drive is gone and the sidewalk is paved). The Storrow side was fine on Monday evening from the Silber way footbridge all the way to Arsenal Street.
J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Plowed by Friday noon.
N. Harvard St. bike lanes
Boston Boston DPW
Mostly snow-covered on Friday, probably clearer on Monday
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
Not checked, but probably clear
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not clear, though plowed earlier on Friday morning, but totally clear on Saturday afternoon.
South Bay Harbor Trail
Bike/Ped path from the Federal Court House up Fort Point Channel to the Southwest Corridor
City of Boston
Melnea Cass section totally unplowed.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked.
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
Not checked, but probably plowed
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Often under snow and/or parked cars, but Mass. Ave. lanes clear in Harvard Square.
Vassar St. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Main St. to Memorial Drive (almost)
City of Cambridge
Not checked.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet
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
Not checked yet.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
Rod Holland reported on March 12: After the recent thaw, the Minuteman is clear from Arlington through Bedford, with a narrow area in Arlington between Water Street and Mill Street (detour on Russell Place), uncleared snow at the vehicle barrier at the Wiggins Avenue intersection in Bedford, and a glacier on the connecting sidewalk at Depot Park (detour through parking lot).
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
John Allen reports that the Waltham Riverwalk is unplowed but melting.
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.
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.