MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, January 19, 2009

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 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.