MassBike Bikepath Plowing Report, December 5, 2005

MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, December 5, 2005

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.

The first significant (i.e., almost skiable) snowfall of the year was a pretty good test of path plowing policies. Somewhere around 2 inches of snow fell on Sunday, and it seems to have been warm enough to melt a bit before freezine hard overnight. Brookline wins, Boston comes in second, and the DCR gets another F, I'm sorry to say. Since a similar amount of snow is forecast for tonight, after bits of sun today, plowed sections could turn into bare pavement before the new snow.

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 flats were pretty much covered with rough ice, over which I biked slowly, stopping a few times to take pictures of the snow on the trees. The east-facing slopes of the Bussey Hill road were clearing, with lots of bare spots, but a bit of snow left over. A good place to practice ice biking

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,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation I forgot to look.

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 The path was plowed before the snow stopped, so there was a dusting of snow, some of which turned to a thin layer of ice. The city was out sanding the path this morning, and there was some sand under the snow. While the path is not as slippery as it looks at first, cyclists should still be very careful.

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 I forgot to look.

Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW This was mostly bare pavement, though a bit of snow was starting to fall off trees. It was salted and that seems to have cleared the path very well.

B.U. Bridge
The approaches were mostly clear, though there was a bit of ice near both the Cambridge and the Boston ends. There was some packed powder on the bridge itself, but it wasn't slippery.

Charles River Bikepath
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation The path didn't look like it had been plowed at all, though the sidewalks of the River St., Western Ave., and Agassiz Bridges were plowed. The path was almost entirely rough ice, a bit dangerous for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The snow seems to have melted Sunday, gotten walked and run on, and frozed. If it had been plowed at the end of the snow, or a bit before it ended, the path would be clear for tonight's snow. Jon Neihof reports similar conditions upstream to Watertown Square.
Ask the DCR to plow the path after every snowfall, at 617-626-1250. They only out their general email on their web site at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.

J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation Plowed to bare pavement, probably by Harvard.

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 Salted, including sidewalk approaches.

Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation I couldn't tell whether it was salted or plowed, but the path was totally clear from Roxbury Crossing to Jackson Square, with occasional short icy stretches from there to Forest Hills. The appearance of the icy pavement led me to believe that the black surface and the sun melted and evaporated the snow elsewhere in the absence of any DCR intervention, though I may be wrong.

Melnea Cass Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path
Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment Not checked yet, but probably not plowed.

Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation This path is usually not plowed.
If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know at 617-626-1250. They only out their general email on their web site at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.

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 yet, but probably plowed here and there.

Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge Most of the lanes I checked were clear, but there were some icy patches.

Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge Plowed and salted. - Christopher Porter

Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Division of Urban Parks and Recreation salted. It took a while for them to do the diagonal connector to Alewife though. - Christopher Porter

Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford This path is not plowed ever.
Contact Clear the Trail to help get the Town of Arlington to plow their section of the trail.

Northampton Bikeway
East-west across the City of Northampton
City of Northampton Craig Della Penna, who lives next to the path, reports 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,
Division of State Parks and Recreation No report yet.

Arnold Arboretum 1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections Boston Parks and Harvard University	The flats were pretty much covered with rough ice, over which I biked slowly, stopping a few times to take pictures of the snow on the trees. The east-facing slopes of the Bussey Hill road were clearing, with lots of bare spots, but a bit of snow left over. A good place to practice ice biking
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, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	I forgot to look.
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	The path was plowed before the snow stopped, so there was a dusting of snow, some of which turned to a thin layer of ice. The city was out sanding the path this morning, and there was some sand under the snow. While the path is not as slippery as it looks at first, cyclists should still be very careful.
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	I forgot to look.
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW	This was mostly bare pavement, though a bit of snow was starting to fall off trees. It was salted and that seems to have cleared the path very well.
B.U. Bridge	The approaches were mostly clear, though there was a bit of ice near both the Cambridge and the Boston ends. There was some packed powder on the bridge itself, but it wasn't slippery.
Charles River Bikepath Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	The path didn't look like it had been plowed at all, though the sidewalks of the River St., Western Ave., and Agassiz Bridges were plowed. The path was almost entirely rough ice, a bit dangerous for both pedestrians and bicyclists. The snow seems to have melted Sunday, gotten walked and run on, and frozed. If it had been plowed at the end of the snow, or a bit before it ended, the path would be clear for tonight's snow. Jon Neihof reports similar conditions upstream to Watertown Square. Ask the DCR to plow the path after every snowfall, at 617-626-1250. They only out their general email on their web site at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.
J.F.K. Park Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	Plowed to bare pavement, probably by Harvard.
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	Salted, including sidewalk approaches.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	I couldn't tell whether it was salted or plowed, but the path was totally clear from Roxbury Crossing to Jackson Square, with occasional short icy stretches from there to Forest Hills. The appearance of the icy pavement led me to believe that the black surface and the sun melted and evaporated the snow elsewhere in the absence of any DCR intervention, though I may be wrong.
Melnea Cass Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment	Not checked yet, but probably not plowed.
Neponset Trail Mostly paved Bike/Ped path Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	This path is usually not plowed. If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know at 617-626-1250. They only out their general email on their web site at http://www.mass.gov/dcr/aboutDCR.htm.
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 yet, but probably plowed here and there.
Cambridge Bike Lanes Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets City of Cambridge	Most of the lanes I checked were clear, but there were some icy patches.
Fresh Pond Bike Path Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park City of Cambridge	Plowed and salted. - Christopher Porter
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation	salted. It took a while for them to do the diagonal connector to Alewife though. - Christopher Porter
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway" Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford	This path is not plowed ever. Contact Clear the Trail to help get the Town of Arlington to plow their section of the trail.
Northampton Bikeway East-west across the City of Northampton City of Northampton	Craig Della Penna, who lives next to the path, reports 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, Division of State Parks and Recreation	No report yet.

MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report Monday, December 5, 2005

MassBike Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, December 5, 2005