DCR has modified our pedestrian snow and ice removal priorities to reflect interim changes in school and commuting schedules, e.g. if students at a particular school are being taught remotely, the priority of the respective route will be lower than other schools that are providing in-person learning.
The plan:
- Clarifies locations for which DCR has snow removal responsibility
- Identifies available snow removal resources
- Affirms the chain of responsibility and procedures for inter- and intra-agency communications
- Establishes operating procedures and policies.
Snow emergencies
Upon establishing a Snow Emergency, DCR will notify the public via television and radio and establish a parking ban as early as possible. State Police Troop H in South Boston and Troop A in Danvers are notified as well.
Sign up to receive public meeting notices, storm-related updates, traffic advisories, and press releases. Updates are also posted on the DCR twitter account MassDCR
Additional Resources
DCR Storm Center
The Storm Center is responsible for developing a storm plan for each individual storm event and collecting updated reports to facilitate effective internal communications and ensure smooth operations . Regional staff will call in status reports by parkway routes and sidewalk reporting units to the Storm Center periodically.
Snow removal priorities
All snow removal locations are prioritized according to the following categories:
Level 1 (during storm event):
- Primary roadways and parkways*
- State Police barracks
- Traffic bridges
- Potential flood zones
- Designated sidewalks, pathways**, and crosswalks which provide safe passage in the immediate proximity to schools while in-session***.
Level 2 (dedication of snow removal resources within first 12 hours after storm event):
- Secondary roadways and parkways
- State House passage and street parking
- Sidewalks, pathways** and crosswalks providing safe passages to schools***, foot bridges, bus shelters, bus stops, T-stations, including median strips and handicap ramps
Level 3 (snow removal response may occur beyond first 12 hours after storm event):
- DCR-managed ice skating rinks parking lots (12), if open
- Interior park roads and tertiary parkways
- DCR facilities and building parking lots
- Less traveled sidewalks, pathways, crosswalks and multi-use paths**:
These less traveled sidewalks, cross walks and multi-use paths may be cleared as specific public safety needs warrant. As resources allow, DCR will attempt to address Level 3 priorities by focusing on sidewalks without immediate abutters. DCR anticipates the continued cooperation from abutters in clearing the remainder of Level 3 priority sidewalks consistent with municipal ordinances within the metropolitan Boston area.
** (Note: The sidewalk category symbol on the DCR online viewer includes sidewalks, pathways and multi-use paths parallel to parkways and the South West Corridor Bike Path and the Charles River Bike Paths.)
***DCR has modified our pedestrian snow and ice removal priorities to reflect interim changes in school and commuting schedules, e.g. if students at a particular school are being taught remotely, the priority of the respective route will be lower than other schools that are providing in-person learning.
Level 4
- * All parkways under MassDOT responsibility are considered priority level 1 parkways, but are coded in the GIS system as “4” for technical purposes.
Level 5
- Many sidewalks and multi-use paths are not cleared by DCR in order to provide alternative winter recreational resources, such as, skiing and snowshoeing.
Parkways cleared by DCR
| Babe Ruth Park Drive | South Boston |
| Bellevue Hill Road | West Roxbury |
| Boston University Bridge | Boston/Cambridge |
| Boylston Street between Lamartine St. and Armory Street | Boston |
| Broad Sound Avenue | Revere |
| Brookline Street (From Memorial Drive at Reid Rotary to Waverly St) | Cambridge |
| Cambridge Parkway | Cambridge |
| Centre Street Rotary | West Roxbury |
| Charles Street Circle | Boston |
| Charlesgate East (from Newbury Street to Comm Ave Eastbound) | Boston |
| Charlesgate West (from Comm Ave Eastbound to Newbury Street) | Boston |
| Chestnut Hill Driveway | Boston |
| Constitution Beach Road | East Boston |
| Dedham Boulevard (Extension of Dedham Parkway to Sawmill Lane) | East Dedham |
| Dedham Parkway | Hyde Park/Dedham |
| E. Broadway from Day Blvd to Faragut Rd | South Boston |
| Earhart Dam Road | Everett |
| Eastern Ave., from Humphrey St. to Lynn Shore Drive | Lynn |
| Eliot Circle | Revere |
| Elm Street, through Breakheart Reservation | Saugus |
| Enneking Parkway | Hyde Park |
| Fenway Service Road | Boston |
| Forest Street (Breakheart Reservation) | Saugus |
| Gerrys Landing Road | Cambridge |
| Gilmore Bridge/Charlestown Avenue | Charlestown/Cambridge |
| Hammond Pond Parkway | Newton/Brookline |
| Hemlock Road | Wakefield |
| Hillcrest Parkway | Winchester |
| Horace James Circle between Hammond Pond Parkway and W. Roxbury Parkway | Brookline |
| Humphrey Street (Lynn Shore Drive Turn Around) | Swampscott |
| Hyde Park Avenue | Hyde Park |
| JFK-UMass Station Road | South Boston/Dorchester |
| Kosciuszko Circle | South Boston/Dorchester |
| Land Boulevard | Cambridge |
| Lynn Shore Drive | Lynn |
| Massachusetts Avenue Bridge | Boston/Cambridge |
| Memorial Drive | Cambridge |
| Metropolitan Parkway North | Belmont/Lexington/Waltham |
| Metropolitan Parkway South | Belmont/Lexington/Waltham |
| Milton Street (Connects Neponset Valley Parkway with Hyde Park Ave) | Hyde Park |
| Nahant Circle | Lynn |
| Nahant Road Causeway | Nahant |
| Neponset Avenue from Gallivan Blvd. across the Neponset Bridge | Dorchester |
| North Harvard Street/Larz Anderson Bridge | Boston/Cambridge |
| Oak Island Street between North Shore Road and Revere Beach Blvd. | Revere |
| Ocean Avenue | Revere |
| Old Colony Avenue | Dorchester |
| Pelton Street (cut across at W. Roxbury Parkway, inbound to outbound) | West Roxbury |
| Quincy Shore Drive | Quincy |
| Ramp-Bu Bridge To Memorial Dr Eb | Cambridge |
| Ramp-Cambridgeprt Cir To Bu Bridge | Cambridge |
| Ramp-Cambridgeprt Cir To Mem Dr Wb | Cambridge |
| Ramp-Charles St To Longfellow Bridge | Boston |
| Ramp-Charlesgate Overpass To Charlesgate | Boston |
| Ramp-Mem Dr To Cambridgeprt Cir Eb | Cambridge |
| Ramp-Mem Dr To Cambridgeprt Cir Wb | Cambridge |
| Ramp-N Harvard St To Soldiers Field Wb | Boston/Cambridge |
| Ramp-Rt 107 Nb To Rt 16 Eb | Revere |
| Ramp-Storrow Dr To Rt 2a Wb | Boston |
| Reid Rotary and Overpass | Cambridge |
| Reservation Road between Smith Field Rd and Brainard St | Hyde Park |
| Reservoir Street from Hillcrest Parkway to Highland Ave | Winchester |
| Revere Beach Boulevard | Revere |
| Revere Beach Parkway (Rt 145 - Elliot Circle to Rt. 16 at Winthrop Ave) | Revere |
| Revere Street | Revere |
| River Street Bridge, (between Neponset Valley Parkway and Turtle Pond Parkway) | Hyde Park |
| River Street Bridge, (from Memorial Dr to Soldier's Field Rd. ) | Boston/Cambridge |
| Sawmill Lane, (from Dedham Blvd to Bussey St.) | Dedham |
| Shirley Avenue. (Between Ocean Ave and Revere Beach Blvd) | Revere |
| Shore Road, (South Boston between Day Blvd and Farragut Rd. ) | South Boston |
| Smith Field Road (between Turtle Pond Parkway and Enneking Pkwy.) | Hyde Park |
| State Road (where Revere Beach Pkwy and Ocean Ave meet.) | Revere |
| Terminal Road (across from Fresh Pond Mall at Alewife Brook Pkwy.) | Cambridge |
| Turtle Pond Parkway | Hyde Park |
| Wave Avenue (between Dolphin Ave and Broadsound Ave) | Revere |
| West Roxbury Parkway | West Roxbury |
| West Street (between Ocean Ave and Revere Beach Blvd.) | Revere |
| Western Avenue Bridge (between Soldier's Field Rd and Memorial Dr.) | Boston/Cambridge |
| William Day Boulevard | South Boston |
| Winthrop Parkway | Revere/Winthrop |
| Winthrop Shore Drive | Winthrop |
Parkways cleared by MassDOT
| Agassiz Road, Fenway | Boston |
| Alewife Brook Parkway From Route 2 To Concord Avenue | Cambridge |
| Arborway | Boston |
| Arsenal Street Bridge (from Greenough Blvd to Birmingham Parkway) | Boston/Watertown |
| Beacon Street between Charlesgate East and West) | Boston |
| Birmingham Parkway | Brighton |
| Blue Hill River Road | Milton |
| Blue Hills Parkway | Milton |
| Boundary Road | Malden |
| Boylston Street, Fenway – (From Park Drive Intersection To Ipswitch St.) | Boston |
| Brookline Avenue, Fenway | Boston |
| Brooks Street, Brighton (from Nonantum Rd to the I-90 underpass) | Brighton |
| Carroll Parkway | Lynn |
| Centre Street | Jamaica Plain |
| Charles River Dam Road | Cambridge/Boston |
| Charles River Road | Watertown |
| Charles Street (Charles Circle Ramp to Embankment Rd, westbound) | Boston |
| Charlesbank Road - From Nonantum Road to St. James Street | Newton |
| Charlesgate Road (East & West) | Boston |
| Charlesgate/Bowker Overpass | Boston |
| Chestnut Street - From Perkins Street to Riverdale Parkway Rotary | Boston |
| Chickatawbut Road | Braintree, Milton And Quincy |
| Columbia Road from Kosciuszko Circle to Edward Everett Sq at Boston Street | Dorchester |
| Concord Avenue | Cambridge |
| East Border Road | Malden |
| Eastern Avenue | Lynn |
| Elm St., from Woodland/highland Ave to Fellsway West | Medford |
| Embankment Road, Including Mugar Way | Boston |
| Fellsway East | Malden, Stoneham, Melrose, Medford |
| Fellsway West, Medford | Stoneham |
| Forest Grove Road And Woerd Avenue | Waltham |
| Forsyth Way, Fenway | Boston |
| Fresh Pond Parkway | Cambridge |
| Fresh Pond Parkway From Concord Avenue To Fresh Pond | Cambridge |
| Furnace Brook Parkway and Rotary | Quincy |
| Gallivan Boulevard | Dorchester |
| Green Street | Canton |
| Greenough Blvd. | Cambridge/Watertown |
| Grove Street from Coolidge Ave. To Greenough Blvd. | Watertown |
| Harvard Avenue from Mystic River Road To Mystic Valley Parkway | Arlington/Medford |
| Hayden Street, spur From Furnace Brook Parkway To Willard Street | Quincy |
| High Street | Medford |
| Highland Avenue | Malden/Medford |
| Hillside Street, Blue Hills Reservation | Canton/Milton |
| Hull Shore Drive | Hull |
| Jamaica Way | Boston |
| Longfellow Bridge/Main street to Memorial Drive Ramps | Boston/Cambridge |
| Lynn Fells Parkway | Melrose/Stoneham/Saugus |
| Lynnway | Lynn/Revere |
| Market St | Boston |
| Mcgrath O'Brien Highway | Somerville/Cambridge |
| Medford Street | Arlington |
| Middlesex Avenue | Medford |
| Morton Street | Boston |
| Monsignor O'Brien Highway | Cambridge |
| Mystic River Road And Jerome Street | Medford |
| Mystic Valley Parkway | Arlington, Medford, Somerville, Winchester |
| Mystic Valley Parkway From Route 16 To Wellington Circle | Medford |
| Nantasket Avenue | Hull |
| Neponset Valley Parkway | Hyde Park/Milton |
| New South Street | Stoneham |
| Nonantum Road | Brighton/Newton/Watertown |
| North Beacon Street | Brighton/Watertown |
| North Border Road | Stoneham |
| Norumbega Rd | Weston |
| Park Drive, Boston (main road not service road) | Boston |
| Park Rd. | Weston |
| Park Street | Stoneham |
| Parkman Drive | Boston |
| Perkins Street | Boston |
| Pond Street | Stoneham |
| Ponkapoag Trail, Milton (I-95 Overpass @ Blue Hill River Rd) | Milton |
| Quinobequin Rd | Newton |
| Ravine Road | Stoneham |
| Recreation Rd, Park Rd., Boulevard Rd. | Weston |
| Soldiers Field Road | Brighton |
| South Border Road | Medford/Winchester |
| South Street | Winchester |
| Storrow Drive | Boston |
| The Fenway And Fenway Connector To Park Drive | Boston |
| The Riverway | Boston |
| Truman Parkway (aka Truman Highway) | Boston/Milton |
| Unquity Road | Milton |
| VFW Parkway | West Roxbury |
| Wampatuck Road | Quincy |
| West Border Road | Malden |
| Wharf Avenue | Hull |
| William Morrissey Boulevard | South Boston/Dorchester |
| Willow Pond Rd. | Boston |
| Woodland Road | Medford/Stoneham |
| Wyoming Avenue (where Pond Street turns into Wyoming and stops at Philips Rd.) | Stoneham |
Contact for DCR Winter Storm Plan and Priority Map
Phone
during normal business hours
after business hours