riding bike on community path/minuteman trail in the winter

[somervillesnow.livejournal.com]

Does anyone commute on the community path/minuteman trail into Arlington who would like to comment on its bikability after snowstorms?  Do Cambridge/Arlington sections differ from Somerville?

Comments

[somervillesnow.livejournal.com]

Given the mixed reviews, how are the roads in the winter? In general I've found that that roads in Arlington are pretty wide so relatively safe (not squished), but I haven't done the ride in the winter.

[jimmyfergus.livejournal.com]

I go all the way to the Bedford line, and I find the path just so much nicer and less stressful than the roads, even when it's a bit tricky w.r.t. snow. I have gone off to the roads on occasion, but often when the snow is bad the extra width is full of snow. It's ok, but only in exceptional circumstances do I find it worth leaving the path - in which case I usually take the bus instead.

All that said, it's usually not a problem, and even in the worst winters I've usually only lost 4-5 weeks. Last year I lost almost no commute days to snow.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately there are plans to narrow Mass Ave in East Arlington. http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_Planning/MassAve/index

Even though the new configuration will have bike lanes, I think it will be much less useful for biking when there are piles of snow reducing the width of the road.

If the new traffic lights and reduced number of car lanes cause traffic jams, that will also make things unpleasant for biking.

And they seem to have forgotten the winter of 2010-2011, where the snowbanks meant they had to ban parking on every street in East Arlington except Mass Ave, for about a *month*.

[tenshikurai9.livejournal.com]

I wonder what people without off-street parking did for that month.