MassPaths Bikepath Snow Plowing Report
Monday, February 3, 2014 (updated to February 4)

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.

It started snowing Monday morning and snowed till evening, with maybe a bit more later Monday night. When I biked to work everything was pretty clear, but by the time I headed home in the evening, there were a couple of inches of snow on everything. The deeper, wetter snow froze during the night, making Tuesday's trip slipperier. Boston wins the cleanest path award this time for the Jamaicaway path which was clearest from Tuesday morning through Wednesday night. There seem to be a lot more cyclists out after this snow that I've ever seen before.

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
The road from the main entrance to the Forest Hills entrance was plowed to packed powder by Monday night. I assume the other roads were as good.
Blackwell Footpath
A half-mile gravel path connecting the Forest Hills MBTA station and the South St. Arboretum entrance
Boston Parks and Harvard University
I didn't check it, but it is certainly not plowed and icy
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.
Boston Public Works Department
iThey looked OK, but I didn't ride on them.
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,
Not checked yet.
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
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
Pretty clear on both Monday and Tuesday mornings. The streets were snow-free, and there didn't seem to be enough snow to make cars park away from the curb into the bike lanes.
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
Plowed and salted, it was mostly bare by Monday night and pretty nice on Tuesday morning.
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
Clear by Monday night.
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
Plowed to packed powder by Monday night.
Parkway and Netherlands Rd. Contraflow bike lanes
Two one-block contra-flow lanes plus and contraflow cycle track
Brookline Park Department and DPW
Lanes clear, cycle track not plowed, but bikes have been using it anyway.
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, but a bit icy.
Commonwealth Ave. Bike Lanes
Connecting the B.U. Bridge to Boston University Boston Transportation Department
Very clear by Tuesday morning.
Brookline Bike Lanes
Town of Brookline
Essex St. contraflow lane totally clear; others not checked.
B. U. Bridge Bike Lanes
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
The Essex St. contraflow lane was about half clear, but I didn't check any others.
B. U. Bridge west sidewalk
Boston to Cambridge Department of Conservation and Recreation, Clear to wet pavement on Monday.
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department or B.U.
Plowed and maybe salted a bit, but the center has a bit of ice.
Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Totally clear by Tuesday night.
Longfellow Bridge bike lanes
Cambridge to Boston Department of Conservation and Recreation,
Plowed By Mass. Highway Department
Not checked yet, but probably narrowed.
Charles River Bikepaths
Narrow, shared bike-ped path with few intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
The Cambridge side upstream from the B.U. Bridge was ridable on Monday morning, a bit worse, but soft on Monday night, and icy on Tuesday morning. There were occasional clear stretches, but the ice was bad enough that I wouldn't ride it without studded tires.
J.F.K. Park
Wide, shared bike-ped path from river to Harvard Square
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked, but probably clear.
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.
Southwest Corridor Bikepath
Separated Bike/Ped path with poorly-designed intersections
Department of Conservation and Recreation
I rode it almost all of the way from Back Bay station through Forest Hills on Tuesday night. It was clear outbound past Ruggles, except along Carter Playground, where I took the clear Columbus Ave. bike lane. The occasional icy stretches were more frequent as I rode further south. I would be wary of riding the path without studded tires.
Franklin Park Roads
closed to motorized traffic or bike lanes
Boston Parks Department
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, though I rode past it and should have looked.
Neponset Trail
Mostly paved Bike/Ped path
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Not checked yet, but likely to be plowed
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, but probably plowed
Cambridge Bike Lanes
Striped lanes of varying widths on major and connecting streets
City of Cambridge
The Mt. Auburn St. and Mass. Ave. lanes were bikeable from Harvard Square to the Charles River on Tuesday night.
Vassar St. Cycle Track
Buffered bike lanes from Main St. to Memorial Drive (almost)
City of Cambridge
Not checked.
Fresh Pond Bike Path
Parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway in Kingsley Park
City of Cambridge
Not checked yet
Alewife Brook Trail
DCR
Stone dust and boardwalk sections are never plowed. No report on the rest.
Fitchburg Cutoff Trail
DCR
No report on this trail which runs west from Alewife MBTA station.
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
No reports yet.
Upper Charles Reservation
Watertown, Newton, Waltham
4+ miles of paved and unpaved bikepaths
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
No report yet.
Revere Beach Reservation
Revere
Shared use paths (or very wide sidewalks)
Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation
No report 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.
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.