MassBike Boston Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
November 27, 2002

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.

For the first time in 13 years, we're going to have a white Thanksgiving after Boston got an official 6 inches of snow. It didn't seem like that much on the paths, as the first snow melted when it hit and much of the later snow was blown off in fairly high winds. Today, Brookline wins for best plowing, with Boston a close second and the MDC out of the running.

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 the only "paths" plowed in the morning, though even then they were a bit icy.
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 maybe sanded a bit, though somewhat icy by evening. It was unplowed at 10 in the morning, though the snow was soft enough to get through. The bollards at Pinebank still create an extra hazard.
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
Plowed by evening, with a surface which looked better than that of the Jamaicaway path.
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 a bit icy by evening.
B.U. Bridge
The approaches have bare pavement, but the bridge is rough ice.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Metropolitan District Commission
Short stretches seemed to have been plowed, but from the B.U. Bridge to River St., it was rough ice. Upstream to Hawthorn St., there was enough bare pavement that the path should be clear after a sunny day.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Metropolitan District Commission
Not checked yet.
Melnea Cass Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path
Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment
Not checked yet.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Metropolitan District Commission
This path is not plowed.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Between slush and icy by evening.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.