OK, we're off to a much better start this season! We've had two successful plowing events so far.
Our contractor is working out very well, getting out there within a reasonable timeframe and getting the snow off as best as we could expect. Volunteers are helping out to shovel out around the gates and bollards that can't be removed, as the plow has to lift its blade to get around them. Thanks to all the contributors and volunteers for your generosity and patience. Thanks to the Town of Lexington and DPW for assisting in making this private arrangement possible.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Bikeway Plowing Update
Here's an update of our plowing experiment plans:
We've identified a contractor, independent of other Town of Lexington work and are working with the town to make sure that we can hire this person and they can get appropriate access to the path, etc.
We looked into getting the path cleared last weekend, but it seems that there is too much ice at the moment and we can't afford to have it all removed.... a very time and labor intensive process, so we need to wait for a thaw.
Hopefully, we'll have the new contractor in place so we can start plowing as soon as practical. This contractor will be able to plow the path within a day or two of a storm, so this will hopefully avoid the kind of ice-pack problem we are currently facing. They will also be using different equipment. They have both a blade and a bucket available, so it will give us a few chances to try different approaches.
We regret that we haven't been very effective this year in keeping the path clear, but we have learned a lot about what not to do and done our best to conserve funds, so we should be able to do a better job later in the season and if there is left-over, next year. Thanks for your patience.
We've identified a contractor, independent of other Town of Lexington work and are working with the town to make sure that we can hire this person and they can get appropriate access to the path, etc.
We looked into getting the path cleared last weekend, but it seems that there is too much ice at the moment and we can't afford to have it all removed.... a very time and labor intensive process, so we need to wait for a thaw.
Hopefully, we'll have the new contractor in place so we can start plowing as soon as practical. This contractor will be able to plow the path within a day or two of a storm, so this will hopefully avoid the kind of ice-pack problem we are currently facing. They will also be using different equipment. They have both a blade and a bucket available, so it will give us a few chances to try different approaches.
We regret that we haven't been very effective this year in keeping the path clear, but we have learned a lot about what not to do and done our best to conserve funds, so we should be able to do a better job later in the season and if there is left-over, next year. Thanks for your patience.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Lexington Bikeway Plowing Suspended
The Friends of Lexington Bikeways (FoLB) met Thursday Jan 8 to review the results of our plowing experiment to date. The FoLB and Bike Advisory Committee unanimously decided that we needed to explore modifications to the program and decided to withhold funding and temporary suspend the experiment until we have a chance to explore and implement modifications.
We feel the results so far have been mixed. Some of this is due to the weather, but it is also clear there are some other problems that must be addressed which are compounding the problem.
• Plowing is costing over twice as much per mile as Arlington and the results aren't nearly as satisfactory.
• The delay before the path gets cleared is a big factor. Lexington's policy is that the bikeway only gets cleared after the other town sidewalks are finished, as these paths have priority due to traffic and school access.
• The decision to not open the gates and remove bollards has prevented us from using equipment that can clear these conditions more effectively.
• The sidewalk plow operators seem to drive on the bikeway without plowing to access town sidewalks. The resulting packing of the snow ultimately creates dangerous conditions on the bikeway and makes subsequent clearing much more difficult.
FoLB would certainly like to see the program resumed as soon as possible, however we feel that given the limited funding, we want to assure that we spend the generously donated funds as wisely as possible.
We know many of you will be disappointed to have the program suspended, however our intention is to the best with the resources we have available and make sure we learn from our mistakes and do the best job we can do with available funds. We believe we can do better and don't want to waste funds by being inefficient or ineffective. We ask your patience while we seek to resolve these issues.
This is shaping up to be a snowy winter and we have limited funds. At the rate we are spending, and the rate snow is falling, we would probably not be able to afford clearing the entire season. Our plan has always been to hold money in reserve so that the path can be cleared towards the end of season to assure the path is clear as the weather warms.
We thank everyone for their generous support and look forward to working with the Town of Lexington and its fine staff to do the job your generous contributions deserve.
We feel the results so far have been mixed. Some of this is due to the weather, but it is also clear there are some other problems that must be addressed which are compounding the problem.
• Plowing is costing over twice as much per mile as Arlington and the results aren't nearly as satisfactory.
• The delay before the path gets cleared is a big factor. Lexington's policy is that the bikeway only gets cleared after the other town sidewalks are finished, as these paths have priority due to traffic and school access.
• The decision to not open the gates and remove bollards has prevented us from using equipment that can clear these conditions more effectively.
• The sidewalk plow operators seem to drive on the bikeway without plowing to access town sidewalks. The resulting packing of the snow ultimately creates dangerous conditions on the bikeway and makes subsequent clearing much more difficult.
FoLB would certainly like to see the program resumed as soon as possible, however we feel that given the limited funding, we want to assure that we spend the generously donated funds as wisely as possible.
We know many of you will be disappointed to have the program suspended, however our intention is to the best with the resources we have available and make sure we learn from our mistakes and do the best job we can do with available funds. We believe we can do better and don't want to waste funds by being inefficient or ineffective. We ask your patience while we seek to resolve these issues.
This is shaping up to be a snowy winter and we have limited funds. At the rate we are spending, and the rate snow is falling, we would probably not be able to afford clearing the entire season. Our plan has always been to hold money in reserve so that the path can be cleared towards the end of season to assure the path is clear as the weather warms.
We thank everyone for their generous support and look forward to working with the Town of Lexington and its fine staff to do the job your generous contributions deserve.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Plowing Experiment Donations
On behalf of the Friends of Lexington Bikeways, I with to acknowledge the generous donations from many individuals in Lexington (and Arlington) in support of our experimental plowing the bikeway in Lexington. Thank you so much!
The number and size of donation has been quite impressive.
We're committed to finding a plowing solution for Lexington that works well and is cost-effective.
We've had some mixed results and there is a lot of discussion to figure out how best to proceed.
Thanks again!
Abe Shenker
Chair, Friends of Lexington Bikeways
The number and size of donation has been quite impressive.
We're committed to finding a plowing solution for Lexington that works well and is cost-effective.
We've had some mixed results and there is a lot of discussion to figure out how best to proceed.
Thanks again!
Abe Shenker
Chair, Friends of Lexington Bikeways
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