MassBike Boston Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Friday, February 7-10, 2003

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.

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.