It snowed another 4-6 inches very early Monday morning, enough that the paths need to be re-plowed, though not all of them were. I was going to check some of the paths on Monday, but since I didn't have to go to work, I went skiing on the snow-covered paths of Stony Brook Reservation instead. Tuesday morning found most of the paths bikeable, though it looked like the DCR didn't replow the Charles River path again after Monday's snowfall.
Please send updates and reports on the conditions of other paths in Massachusetts to Doug Mink.
Arnold Arboretum 1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections Boston Parks and Harvard University | The roads are all plowed, mostly to a packed powder surface. I passed a plow on Tuesday morning, and with a little sun, there will be more bare pavement Wednesday. |
Blackwell Footpath A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance Boston Parks and Harvard University | David Wean reports on Tuesday: Tonight, for the second time in about 10 days, I noticed that the Blackwell footpath (which runs between Forest Hills station and the South Street gate of the Arboretum) was plowed! The swath was about 12' wide (way wider than the gravel path underneath). Since the surface is still snow covered and not completely hard, it's not an ideal surface for biking, but better than bumpy ice, and I took advantage of the peace and quiet of the path, relative to Washington St. |
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 | A bit over half the width was plowed, enough to mostly stay off the main travel lanes almost to the Forest Hills entrance from the crosswalk. |
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 section from the south end of the pond to the boathouse had a lot of packed powder, and the entrance at Eliot St. wasn't plowed like it usually is, but there was a lot of bare pavement from the boathouse to Route 9, including all of the hill from Perkins St. to Willow Pond. |
Perkins St. Bike Lanes 1.5 miles of mostly bike/ped-separated paths paralleling a busy 4-lane parkway; two intersections with traffic lights Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | The eastbound bike lanes are almost entirely snowed in. The westbound ones are a bit clearer |
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 | They're plowed to packed powder with occasional pavement showing through. It looks like the last stretch from the parking lot south to Perkins St. wasn't plowed after the second snowfall ended, so I had to walk my bike a few times through a few inches of snow. |
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW | Jon Niehof reports: Brookline path from Netherlands to Park is almost completely down to pavement and a very easy ride. |
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department | Fairly clear |
Brookline Bike Lanes Town of Brookline | Covered with snow or parked cars pushed out from the curb by snow |
B.U. Bridge Easy connection to Charles River bikepath Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | The east sidewalk was plowed to bare pavement by Tuesday morning but it was so narrow that I had to stop to let pedestrians by. |
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | Clear a week later. |
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | Clear a week later; way better than Cambridge bike lanes |
Charles River Bikepath Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | It looks like the path from the B.U. Bridge to Harvard Square wasn't plowed after Monday's snowfall. A path to bare pavement a foot wide has been worn for much of this distance, but someone has to stop when you have to pass in either direction. The DCR should be using a truck to plow this wide path, not a Bobcat. Sometimes there is ice under the snow, so it can be tricky riding without studded tires. A week after the storm, it looks like a plow came through at some time, but this path is still unsafe to ride without studded tires due to extensive patches of ice. Between the Pleasant St. light and the B.U. Bridge, there is only a narrow path of pavement which often turns to rough ice. The Esplanade path downstream from the B.U. Bridge looks totally clear from above. |
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 | Bare pavement when I rode by Tuesday morning. |
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 | Plowed to bare pavement. |
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | Almost totally clear a week after the storm from Roxbury Crossing to Forest Hills. This was plowed with something wider than the Bobcat used on the Charles River Bikepath |
Melnea Cass Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path Boston Parks or Transportation Deparment | Not checked yet, but probably not plowed. |
Harborwalk (Fort Point Channel) Bike/Ped path along Fort Point Channel Department of Conservation and Recreation, City of Boston | Not checked yet. |
Neponset Trail Mostly paved Bike/Ped path Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | The DCR often plows this path, but not always right away. If you use this path regularly and want the DCR to plow it, let them know (or thank them when it is plowed) at 617-626-4973 or contact DCR Community Affairs. 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 but probably plowed. |
Danehy Park Paths City of Cambridge | Not checked yet. |
Cambridge Bike Lanes Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets City of Cambridge | Wherever there are parked cars, they seem to be far enough out into the street that most of the lanes are gone. |
Fresh Pond Bike Path Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park City of Cambridge | No report yet |
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | This was apparently not plowed after the second storm, so it is snow-covered. |
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway" Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford | No report yet, but the Arlington and Lexington sections should be plowed. Details might be posted at http://www.clearthetrail.org/news.htm |
Upper Charles Reservation Watertown, Newton, Waltham 4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | These paths aren't plowed. |
Stony Brook Reservation Hyde Park 4+ miles of paved bikepaths Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | These paths aren't plowed because they get relatively little transportation use and because they are used by cross-country skiers like me. See my photos of the path on Monday at http://www.masspaths.net/stonybrook/ |
Assabet River Rail Trail Hudson and Marlborough, so far Town of Hudson, City of Marlborough (so far) | Not checked, but probably not plowed. |
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. |