We've almost gone without snow while the Mid-Atlantic states got clobbered over and over. Finally we had a nice storm forecast for yesterday, and it mostly failed to materialize, at least around Boston. We got almost two inches in Roslindale, but it looked more like an inch in Jamaica Plain and points north. There was enough that clearing the paths made a difference, though I could have gotten through unplowed paths with this little snow with no problem.
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 park roads were all plowed, with bare pavement anywhere they were exposed to the sun. Ice will probably persist along Hemlock Hill. |
Blackwell Footpath A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance Boston Parks and Harvard University | This often gets plowed, but I haven't ridden it yet. |
Washington St. Bike Lanes A mile of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and beyond on Belgrade Ave. Boston Public Works Department | Clear and there wasn't enough snow to force cars to park further from the curb. |
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 | The shoulders are clear all of the way to the curb. The sidewalks are plowed but there is a thin layer of snow everywhere that is not exposed to the sun. The sidewalks across Murray Circle were plowed all of the way to May St., and for the first time this winter, the sidewalks along the Arborway to Kelly Circle were plowed with a Bobcat, probably by the DCR. |
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 whole path was plowed, and it was clear but sandy wherever the sun was shining on it. |
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 | These are clear because the roads were salted heavily enough that they never got much snow on them. |
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 checked but probably pretty clear. |
Muddy River Path 12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections Brookline Park Department and DPW | Plowed to packed powder, with a lot of bare pavement. The contraflow cycle track wasn't plowed by 10:30 am, but the contraflow bike lanes were totally clear. |
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department | These were totally clear to wet pavement near the B.U. Bridge |
Brookline Bike Lanes Town of Brookline | The Beacon St. lanes looked clear. |
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U. | Totally clear. |
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | No report, but probably clear |
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation, Plowed By Mass. Highway Department | No report, but probably clear |
Charles River Bikepaths Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation |
From the B.U. Bridge upstream to Hawthorn St., the Cambridge side
path is plowed. It was totally clear except where it was shaded
and there was a thin layer of snow.
Charles River Basin path plowing is supported this winter by a donation from New Balance shoes: Under the agreement, New Balance, which is based in Boston, has pledged to provide funding to support snow removal efforts along the 17-plus mile Charles River path spanning from the Museum of Science area in Cambridge to the Galen Street Bridge in Watertown. The snow removal will be performed by DCR within 24 hours of the completion of a storm. Because the route runs in close proximity to the river bank, there is limited salting and sanding that can be performed, so the DCR and New Balance urge runners to continue to use caution. |
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 pavement. |
N. Harvard St. bike lanes Boston Boston DPW | Not checked yet, but probably clear |
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 but probably clear |
Southwest Corridor Bikepath Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | Not checked yet. |
South Bay Harbor Trail Bike/Ped path from the Federal Court House up Fort Point Channel to the Southwest Corridor City of Boston | Not checked yet, bu I suspect that the section in front of the Crosstown Development near Mass. Ave. will be done, and the path will be clear where it goes under the Expressway. |
Neponset Trail Mostly paved Bike/Ped path Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | Not checked but probably plowed. 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 roads are clear, and the bike lanes never got much snow on them. |
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 | Details are usually 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 | Not checked. |
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. There are marked narrow bike lanes on Enneking Parkway through the reservation which are probably clear. |
Former Metropolitan State Hospital Belmont, Waltham paved bikepaths Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Urban Parks and Recreation | Not checked yet. |
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, but there wasn't much snow out west. |