The Wellington Greenway is a hiking and biking path in Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA, which is the local government transportation network, removed much of the show that blocked train traffic. It did so by piling the snow into the Greenway.
This angered local cyclists. But the MBTA did nothing. So the cyclists took action on their own. Working in shifts, over 8-10 hours, they dug a tunnel through the snowbank. The 40-foot structure re-opened the Wellington Greenway. The cyclists call it the "Big Dig II," which references a 16-year tunneling project in Boston.
You can see more photos of the snow tunnel at BDCwire.
-via Marilyn Terrell
I think the cyclists in Boston need to accept the fact that during unusual, heavy snowfalls, maybe you can't ride your bike on that path until the plow gets around to where you are. Just like where I live, on a really heavy snowfall, my street may not be plowed for a day or two. That's what snow tires and patience are for.
Yup, it's dumb to fill up the bike path in the first place, but perhaps they had no other choice?
As for whom to sue in a cycle/car collision, it wouldn't be directly the fault of the bike path being temporarily closed. It would ultimately be the choice of the cyclist to take the road alternative, and fault would be determined just like any other road collision.
First-World problem.