MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Bike paths and lanes are integral parts 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. If they are not plowed while the snow is still soft, paths with significant foot traffic become unskiable within a day, and remain a mess for everyone until the ice melts.

Please send updates and reports on the conditions of other paths in Massachusetts to Jessica Mink.

Arnold Arboretum
1.5 miles of park roads which are mostly closed to automobile traffic with no intersections
Boston Parks and Harvard University
By Tuesday morning, all of the Arboretum roads were totally clear, though I didn;t check Peters 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
On Tuesday morning, it was mostly shallow packed snow and bikeable, at least with sudded snow tires
Roslindale Bike Lanes
Two miles of bike lanes on both sides of Washington St. from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and to West Roxbury on Belgrade Ave. and buffered and wide bike lanes along American Legion Highway
Boston Public Works Department
I rode most of them on Tuesday and they were all clear, with occasional dollops of snow from parked cars. Cars are not parking way out from the curb, yet.
Centre St. and VFW Parkway Bike Lanes
DCR, plowed by MassDOT
Not checked, but probably fairly 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
Pretty clear with a bit of snow on the curb edge.
Morton St. Buffered Bike Lanes
Cemetery Rd. to Harvard St.
MassDOT
Clearer than they were before it snowed! A lot of the trash along the curb seems to have disappeared. You don't have to ride in the buffer anymore.
Franklin Park Roads
Much of the park loop road is closed to motorized traffic and there are bike lanes on the main road.
Boston Parks and Public Works Departments
Not checked yet.
Centre/South Bike Lanes
A mile of bike lanes through the heart of Jamaica Plain from Jackson Square and the Southwest Corridor to Forest Hills
Boston Public Works Department
Not checked yet.
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
On Tuesday morning, it was marginal, clear around the boathouse, but snow-packed north and south. The paved connection to the Arborway was totally unplowed.
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
Not checked yet.
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 yet.
Parkway and Netherlands Rd. Contraflow bike lanes
Two one-block contra-flow lanes plus and contraflow cycle track
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Not checked yet.
Muddy River Path
12-foot-wide 0.6 mile shared bike/ped path with no intersections
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Not checked yet.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Not checked yet
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Not checked yet
B. U. Bridge Bike Lanes
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Pretty clear
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge
Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
Not checked yet.
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked yet.
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked yet.
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Between Maple St. in Newton to Arsenal St., the Boston-side path was mostly totally clear pavement on Wednesday morning, except for a few patches of drifting snow. I would expect the Boston side to be clear to the Anderson Bridge, but I crossed the river to try out the new, under-construction path along Greenough Blvd. It was not plowed at all; stay on the Boston side. Downstream from the Anderson Bridge to Hawthorn St., the path was clear to bare pavement.
J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Western Ave. Cycletrack
Cambridge Cambridge DPW
Not checked yet.
Western Ave. Cycletrack
Boston Boston DPW
Not checked yet.
N. Harvard St. bike lanes
Boston Boston DPW
Not checked yet.
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 yet, but probably plowed.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
From Forest Hills to Green St., it's plowed to bare pavement, but a bit icy at intersections.
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.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Somerville Community Path
Wide rail trail from Davis Square to Cedar St.
City of Somerville
Not checked, but probably bikeable.
Red Line Linear Park Path
Alewife MBTA station to Davis Square over Red Line
City of Cambridge City of Somerville
Not checked, but probably fairly clear.
Danehy Park Paths
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet, but probably fairly clear.
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Vassar St. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Main St. to Memorial Drive (almost)
City of Cambridge
Not checked.
Green St./Franklin St. Bicycle Boulevard
Narrow one-way streets parallel to Mass. Ave. from Central Square to< Harvard Square/I>
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Alewife Brook Trail
DCR
Boardwalk sections aren't plowed. No report on the rest.
Fitchburg Cutoff Trail
DCR
Not checked yet.
Concord Ave. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Belmont to Fresh Pond Parkway
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet.
Alewife Parkway Bridge Sidewalk
Connection from Minuteman Bikepath to Fresh Pond and beyond
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Minuteman "Commuter Bikeway"

Towns of Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford
Rod Holland reports on Monday: I rode the Minuteman this afternoon from Water Street, Arlington, to Depot Park, Bedford, and back. The trail had been plowed by all three towns, and was generally in good shape, meaning bare pavement, a more-or-less thin layer of packed snow, or smooth ice. Commuter bikes with studded tires will do fine, as will fat bikes. Those with skinny tires and no studs are in for a test of skill, and would probably do better on Mass. Ave. There are a few spots to watch out for: snowplow slop at the trail crossing at Mill Street, Arlington; bumpy ice near the Maple Street overpass, Lexington; a patch of deeper snow at Depot Square, Lexington, picking up ruts now that will harden into hazards soon enough. Interestingly, Bedford has cleared the last 100 yards of the trail at Depot Park, so there isn't any current need to enter and exit the trail via the parking lot. Pictures here.
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet
Newton Bike Lanes
City of Newton
The Walnut St. lanes were clear on Wednesday morning.
Revere Beach Reservation
Revere
Shared use paths (or very wide sidewalks)
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet.
Northern Strand Community Trail
Everett and Malden
Shared use path
Everett and Malden DPW
No Report.
Stony Brook Reservation
Hyde Park
4+ miles of paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation 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. After this snowfall, the paths should be pretty bikable, though there will be ice.
Former Metropolitan State Hospital
Belmont, Waltham
paved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation 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, has reported 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
No report.