Boston got 8 inches or so of snow on Friday during the afternoon and evening. There wasn't so much at the evening commute that riding was impossible, but it wasn't that easy. By Monday morning, most of the paths were cleared, with the notable exception of the Charles River paths. A few more inches of snow fell the following Monday and Tuesday and drifted across the more open paths. By Wednesday evening, the Jamaicaway path became unridable.
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 main road up Bussey Hill from Bussey Brook is torn up for water main construction, so I've been using Walter St. and the paved shoulder of Centre St. to the entrance at the top of the hill. The park roads were pretty clear by Monday morning. |
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 sanded and plowed by Monday, and most of the snow on the path was melted. The ice and frozen mud around the bollards at Pinebank is still dangerous. Drifting snow on Tuesday and Wednesday made this path unridable. |
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. |
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW | On Monday morning, this path was packed powder and a bit icy, but by Tuesday morning it was quite clear. |
B.U. Bridge The bridge road lanes are narrow, and the sidewalks are wide and relatively unused by pedestrians. | The western sidewalk and aproaches on both sides of the bridge were clear, sometimes to pavement. The roadway is clear, too. |
Charles River Bikepath Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Metropolitan District Commission | The MDC never plowed the path after this storm. It is totally unridable. |
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Metropolitan District Commission | The MDC never plowed this path after the storm, either. |
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 wasn't plowed, but discussions are under way as to whether the entire path should be plowed. |
Cambridge Bike Lanes Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets City of Cambridge | Cars are still parked out from the curb due to remaining snow/ice, so bike lanes are often narrowed. |
Fresh Pond Bike Path Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park City of Cambridge | Not checked yet. |
Red Line Linear Park Over the Red Line from Alewife Station to Cedar St. Cities of Cambridge and Somerville | Not checked yet. |
Minuteman Bikeway From Cambridge through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford Each town | This path is not usually plowed, except sometimes from Lake St. to Alewife Station. |