It started out as rain on Sunday and turned to snow and froze overnight. On Monday morning, there was still a lot of ice on the paths, though the sun melted a lot of it.
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 road along Bussey Brook along the base of Hemlock Hill remained icy all week, though the Arboretum staff sprinkled sand along one side so people could walk on it. |
Blackwell Footpath A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance Boston Parks and Harvard University | By the time our RozzieBikes Last Friday commuter group rode it, the path was clear. |
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 | These were pretty clear all week. |
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 never plowed, but it looked like a bit of fresh sand was laid down. The ice was gone pretty quickly. |
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 were still covered by snow that never melted in the shade. 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 were ridable all of the way to Perkins St. by Tuesday night. |
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW | The path was clear by Monday night. |
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department | Fairly clear |
Brookline Bike Lanes Town of Brookline | Not checked. |
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | No report. |
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | No report. |
Charles River Bikepath Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | On Monday morning, the path was pretty clear on the Boston side all of the way from the Fiedler Footbridge to North Harvard St. except for a lot of ice on the upstream half of the boardwalk under the B.U. Bridge. The temporary bridge by the Bowker Overpass construction was clear and had some ice melter on it. By Friday, the boardwalk was totally clear. The Cambridge side was pretty clear by Monday night. |
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 | Clear on Monday 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 | Not checked. |
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | Not checked. |
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 | Not checked. 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 | The bike lanes are starting to be more usable as cars can park closer to the curb. |
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 | No report yet. |
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway" Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford | No report yet, but the Arlington section should be plowed. Lexington stopped plowing their part of the path on January 12. Details are posted at http://www.clearthetrail.org |
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. I rode them during the rain on Sunday, and there was still quite a bit of snow which wasn't washing away. With ice on top, it will take even longer to melt. |
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. |