Cyclists Be Aware: Longfellow Bike Lane Dividers To Come Down

BOSTON — Cyclists beware: Although there's no snow yet in the 10-day forecast, MassDOT will be removing the vertical flex posts that separate the bicycle lanes from car traffic next week along the Longfellow Bridge. Why? To make it easier to plow and salt the bridge during the winter months.

Watch for crews to be working overnight to remove the flex posts starting Sunday, Dec. 16 through Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. The de facto dividers will return in spring 2019, MassDOT announced.

MassDOT and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) work together on snow removal on the bridge. During winter weather events, DCR crews plow and clear the bridge, including from the bike lanes, and remove snow from approximately one half of the width of the sidewalks.

After the storm, MassDOT and DCR crews will then close the bridge to traffic or implement lane closures in order to remove snow and ice from the travel lane, bicycle lane and sidewalk using front end loaders and other equipment.

Both MassDOT and DCR have put together the Draft Statewide Pedestrian Plan, and the upcoming Draft Statewide Bicycle Plan to address the need to ensure winter maintenance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities to allow access by multimodal travelers.

The speed limit along the Longfellow Bridge is 25 miles per hour, but MassDOT said during poor weather it recommends drivers reduce speeds there even more.

For more information regarding snow clearing operations, as well contact information for submitting feedback on snow clearing efforts, members of the public can visit this website.

Longfellow bridge photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff