MassBike Boston Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Thursday, December 26, 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.

It snowed somewhere around 6 inches on Christmas day, but I was out of town until Monday, December 30, so I have relied on reports from various bicycling elves (Thanks Bryce and David!) for conditions after the storm. By the time I rode to work on Monday, December 30, most of the paths were clear, though there were still some trouble spots as it seems not to have warmed up over the weekend like it usually does. Boston again did the best job by plowing, salting, and sanding the Jamaicaway path.

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 plowed, but there is still a lot of ice on the shaded parts five days after it snowed. As usual, there is some treacherous ice along Hemlock Hill from the Walter St. entrance.
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 well plowed, except for the snow banks between the bollards at Pinebank. The plow knocked down a sign going around them, so *maybe* the Parks Department will see the light and take them out. There was a bit of snow on the path around Willow Pond Ave. and at the driveway to the skating rink site, but it was easy to bike through. The sand on the path should keep it rideable through the coming possible ice storm New Years Eve.
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 bike and pedestrian paths were not plowed by Monday morning, at least on the Route 9 (northern) end.
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 and sanded, so it was all bare pavement.
B.U. Bridge
The Boston approach was clear, but the bridge sidewalk and the Cambridge approach were very icy on Monday morning. The roadway is clear.
Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Metropolitan District Commission
This path was plowed by Saturday. On Monday morning, there were some icy stretches east of Magazine Beach, where the path is shaded, and west of Western Ave., where snow blew over the path after it was plowed. It's a bit tricky to share with runners and other cyclists, but not too hard.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Metropolitan District Commission
As of Friday, December 27, it was plowed, but as usual, not sanded. Lots of dry pavement, but enough icy patches so that David Wean would only ride it with studded tires. The plowed snow is piled on both sides of the plowed area, and there will be lots of melting/refreezing on the path until the surrounding snow is gone.
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
Cars are parking out from the curb due to the snow, so the lanes are narrowed.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
According to Bryce Nesbitt, it was fully plowed on Saturday, December 28 south of the Concord Rotary (in Kingsley Park) and totally unplowed north of Concord rotary. There is deep hard packed ice over the Alewife Brook Parkway bridge.
Red Line Linear Park
Over the Red Line from Alewife Station to Cedar St.
Cities of Cambridge and Somerville
By Saturday, it was plowed east of Mass Ave, icy spots west of Mass Ave. according to Bryce Nesbitt.
Minuteman Bikeway
From Cambridge through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford
Each town
This path was totally clear from the last storm on Monday, December 23, according to Joe Chapman, but it is probably snowed shut now.