Question for bike commuters on Cherry Creek Bike trail (Lakewood: move, car)

[IslandDreamin]

Hi,

I plan on bike commuting down the Cherry Creek Bike trail instead of driving, and so far so good, but it is only Summer. I read that they occasionally snow plow the trail, but is it done with regularity and can you count on it being clear by the time you head to work, say around 8 AM?

[Mach50]

I ride the trail occasionally in the winter and I have seen them plowed just like the streets are. However, that doesn't mean they aren't icy. Go fast in the clear sections and slow in the icy spots you will be fine.

[davidv]

You should develop an alternate plan for commuting when the weather is bad. However, the number of days with a lot of snow on the ground is pretty low, and snow usually melts within a day or two.

I have a feeling that plowing the trail is like plowing the side streets. It is only done after a larger snowstorm.

[billiken]

Besides the snow, it seems that rain is an issue too. A few weekends ago when it rained heavily, I saw the trail looking more like a river downtown.

[cbw1]

I found that they plow the trail as often if not more so than the busy streets. I'd suffer from a crappy car commute because the roads were still not plowed then look over and see a cyclist happily chugging along on a clear trail.

[sunsprit]

I used to ride this as part of a commute from Lakewood to Cherry Creek and points east ...

as noted above, there are places where it floods or forms ponds which can last for days after rainstorms, and I've seen algae patches which stayed slick for a long time after the moisture had dried up.

in cold weather months with snowfall, the plowing can remove much of the snow, but cannot remove the ice that forms. in the shadow areas, the ice can persist for weeks while the adjacent areas exposed to the sun will be clear. best to slow down and be very cautious as you get to know and anticipate those spots. remember that the sun angle and time of exposure is very different in the winter months than in the summer months.