A report on the plan for snow removal from the new bike infrastructure in the city

Executive Summary

In response to the above awaiting report, it is recognized that over the past several years there has been an increased focus on building and creating safer bike facilities across the City and such need to be properly maintained throughout the year. All snow storms are different and the response to each event will vary accordingly. There are numerous variables that must be considered as a response program is prepared, be it in terms of the snow type and volume anticipated, the antecedent conditions and the availability of snow salting, plowing and removal resources.

Such being the case, our practice in not to guarantee a certain level of performance in response to a storm but rather to provide a prioritization on how we generally approach snow and ice clearance during and after winter events. The primary focus during a snow event is to ensure that emergency vehicles can access all properties throughout the City.

Presuming such access is accomplished satisfactorily, within a couple of days resources are then focused on a thorough opening of transit facilities, bus stops and adjacent sidewalks and pedestrian crossings within the City. Over the past three years, additional attention has been brought to bear on addressing safety concerns on traditional bike lanes.

While these facilities are generally addressed during the course of typical road salting and plowing events, it is not untypical for such facilities to be narrowed and further compromised though sloughing and when neighbors dig out around their cars etc.

DPW has deployed smaller equipment to get closer to cars and better push back this snow after snow events but also recognizes as snow becomes “hardpacked” this effort is more challenging both from a plowing perspective as well as from an equipment control perspective.

Obviously as new raised cycle tracks and protected bike lanes have come on line, the City’s operational departments responsible for maintaining such facilities during the winter months are challenged to ensure adequate resources are available and in operation to make these facilities as safe as possible as soon as possible after winter storm events. No representation is made that such are safe to ride on during the course of a snow storm itself.

Overview of Cycling Infrastructure in Cambridge

Over the past several years there has been an increased focus on building and creating safer bike facilities across the City and such need to be properly maintained throughout the year. Over the past two decades numerous new separated bike facilities have been created. Separated bike facilities were built parallel to Fresh Pond Parkway and Concord Avenue in 2001. Raised bike facilities were built on Vassar Street, east and west between 2005 and 2010.

The Concord Avenue facility between Fresh Pond Parkway and Blanchard Road was built in 2012 The raised facilities on both Binney Street and Western Avenue have been built in the past five years as have those adjacent to Flagstaff Park, Galileo Galilei Way and North Point Park.

Over the past two to three years approximately 1.5 miles of additional at grade separated facilities have been created across the City, starting with Ames Street and then Cambridge Park Drive and then the two pilot facilities on Massachusetts Avenue at Lafayette Square and the Harvard Law School. More recently facilities have been created on Cambridge Street between Quincy Street and Inman Square, on Massachusetts Avenue between Throwbridge Street and Bow Street, a small section of Broadway at Draper Labs and finally that which was created late this summer on Brattle Street between Guglielmo Plaza and Mason Street.

Operational Priorities During Snow Events

All snow storms are different and the response to each event will vary accordingly. There are numerous variables that must be considered as a response program is prepared, be it in terms of the snow type and volume anticipated, the antecedent conditions and the availability of snow salting, plowing and removal resources.

Such being the case, our practice in not to guarantee a certain level of performance in response to a storm but rather to provide a prioritization on how we generally approach snow and ice clearance during and after winter events. The primary focus during a snow event is to ensure that emergency vehicles can access all properties throughout the City. With larger snow storms, such may result in Emergency Parking Bans (EPB) where parking is forbidden on numerous routes across the City.

The primary activity during this time is plowing and pushing snow back to the curb so that we are maximizing the width of street, addressing severe public safety issues and continuing to provide access for emergency vehicles. This operation provides for a circumstance where normal traffic and parking activity can be restored as soon as possible.

Presuming such access is accomplished satisfactorily, within a couple of days resources are then focused on a thorough opening of transit facilities, bus stops and adjacent sidewalks and pedestrian crossings within the City. Much of this effort involves removing snow from sidewalks and from the adjacent curb line. In parallel to these efforts, additional crews are busy opening pedestrian routes to public buildings, schools and vehicular access to school parking lots.

At this time, the Department of Public Works is responsible for snow clearing of 23 miles of sidewalk. Obviously, for exceptional storms or when events occur immediately after each other, our approach gets modified, but the primary focus continues to be directed towards emergency access and addressing significant public safety situations. Over the past three years, additional attention has been brought to bear on addressing safety concerns on traditional bike lanes.

While these facilities are generally addressed during the course of typical road salting and plowing events, it is not untypical for such facilities to be narrowed and further compromised though sloughing and when neighbors dig out around their cars etc. DPW has deployed smaller equipment to get closer to cars

and better push back this snow after snow events but also recognizes as snow becomes “hardpacked” this effort is more challenging both from a plowing perspective as well as from an equipment control perspective.

Obviously as new raised cycle tracks and protected bike lanes have come on line, the City’s operational departments responsible for maintaining such facilities during the winter months are challenged to ensure adequate resources are available and in operation to make these facilities as safe as possible as soon as possible after winter storm events. No representation is made that such are safe to ride on during the course of a snow storm itself.

To the extent that cyclists are on the street both during and immediately after snow events all traffic needs to recognize that they need to share the road.

Traditional On Street Bike Lanes