Cyclists clear snow from Comm. Ave. bike lanes after storm, call on city for accountability

Local News

After weeks of uncleared protected bike lanes, advocates say winter bike access is a matter of safety and equity.

More than a week after Boston’s largest snowstorms in years, snow still blanketed stretches of the protected bike lanes along Commonwealth Avenue. On Friday, frustrated cyclists decided to clear them themselves. 

About 20 volunteers from the Boston Cyclists Union and Boston University’s Urbanism Club shoveled mounds of snow from the lanes near Babcock Street — an attempt to send the City of Boston a message, said Tiffany Coggell, interim executive director of BCU.

“The City is not being responsive,” Coggell said. “We immediately decided to figure out how we could reach the City, incentivize the City, hold them accountable, and ask for their help with clearing the bike lanes.”

The partnership began when BU senior Jerry Zhou, who relies on cycling for daily transportation, noticed the lanes remained largely impassable days after the storm. 

“It seemed like some areas had tried to be cleared. Some areas weren’t touched at all,” Zhou said. “And I started to get fed up.” 

Zhou then filed a 311 report with the City of Boston — only to find dozens of similar complaints already submitted about the same stretch of road, he said. 

Realizing that filing a report was not enough, Zhou contacted BCU and shared photos documenting the conditions he rides through each day. 

“Some people depend on biking or scootering for transportation,” Zhou said. “It’s their only option or their best option, and to not clear these bike lanes is not fair to people who depend on these bike lanes to get around.” 

Before organizing the cleanup, BCU contacted city councilors, state officials, and representatives, and filed additional 311 reports. 

Coggell said some councilors acknowledged the problem and offered encouraging responses. Replies from 311, however, were “typical,” she said. 

“The City is doing its best to clear the lanes,” Coggell said, describing the standard response. 

Advocates say the problem is not just whether plows pass through, but how snow is handled afterwards.

With limited space to relocate it, snow is often piled at the end of bike lanes or pushed onto sidewalks, narrowing already tight lanes, Coggell said. 

“They should be at least passable at this point, and they still aren’t,” Zhou said. 

Levi Chen, co-president of BU’s Urbanism Club, said intersections are particularly hazardous, especially near bus stops and high-traffic areas.

“Not everyone’s a cyclist, but everyone has to walk somewhere,” Chen said. 

City officials reported removing 6,200 truckloads of snow — approximately 92,000 cubic yards — to 13 snow farms across Boston over a 10-day period. As of Tuesday, Code Enforcement had issued 3,626 snow removal violations citywide, including 138 to the MBTA. 

Despite those efforts, Coggell said communication between cycling advocates and City Hall has deteriorated. 

“Unfortunately, over the past two years, the access to the City, particularly the mayor and the Streets Cabinet, has been waning,” Coggell said, adding that Jascha Franklin-Hodge stepping away from his role as Chief of Streets last year significantly affected that relationship. 

Coggell said that people working with the City have anonymously told her that the Streets Cabinet ignored flyers sent to them from BCU.

“They had eyes on them, but again, they have not reached out to the Boston Cyclist Union,” Coggell said. “They have not communicated with anyone who has sent in letters or emails or voice messages.”

Mayor Michelle Wu addressed snow removal during an appearance on Boston Public Radio Tuesday night. She explained that the City is legally responsible for clearing roadways and sidewalks in front of City buildings. 

Everywhere else, however, the responsibility to clear snow lies on each building’s owner.

Chen said he was disappointed the bike lanes were not mentioned specifically. 

“She ended up talking a bit about other issues, like shoveling out pedestrian sidewalks,” Chen said. “But also shoveling up bike lanes is crucial to ensure the safety of the many hundreds of people on the bike route every day.” 

For organizers, Friday’s cleanup was more than clearing a single block. 

“We are really hoping that this will incentivize the City of Boston to be more responsive and proactive when they know we’re having a storm,” Coggell said. “Care about our safety. Prioritize our means of transportation.”

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