New Design Of Controversial UWS Rotunda Reignites Cyclists' Anger

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — While the design for the new Riverside Park Boat Basin at West 79th Street has been stealing the majority of the headlines, a corresponding project to renovate the Rotunda in the same area of the park is also about to begin.

The Department of Transportation presented a revised design Tuesday night for the Rotunda to Community Board 7's Transportation Committee that left a local urban design organization disgruntled about longstanding safety concerns involving the area's bike lanes.

The Rotunda is a three-level facility that carries cars, pedestrians and bikers in three directions: into Riverside Park (not cars), onto the Upper West Side's Riverside Drive on 79th Street, and along the West Side Highway.

Constructed in 1937 and last given a major rehabilitation in 1975, the construction project aims to "restore and enhance the structure's place as a destination and serve as a leap forward in New York City's drive to revitalize the waterfront."

The Rotunda has been a long-standing tricky area for bikers, with no protected bike lanes, bicyclists have to make their way around the circle as the majority of cars continue on their way onto on and off-ramps for the West Side Highway.

As part of the restoration, the DOT will create an updated painted lane in the traffic circle for cyclists, but bike advocates say this isn't enough.

Very disappointing at last night’s MCB7 Transportation Comm mtg to see @NYC_DOT present a final Rotunda design that categorically dismissed previous safety concerns about mixing an unprotected bike lane and a freeway on/off ramp.@Ydanis please give this another look. pic.twitter.com/LZn1TSzMTB
— Streetopia Upper West Side (@StreetopiaUWS) February 9, 2022

Since the first design of the project was announced, local advocates have been pushing for a physically protected bike lane.

“Physically separating bikes and cars to avoid crashes is paramount, especially with the increased bike usage throughout NYC now during COVID and beyond. This project must be redesigned to provide safety for all users," Upper West sider Reed Rubey told StreetsBlog in 2020.

"It’s clear to me that no one involved has spent any time at the west side of that area," one person wrote on Twitter Tuesday. "The number of confused drivers who almost (and sometimes do) drive down the ramp into the park makes it clear that bad design & signage is to blame. But sure, let’s keep it the same."

In a report, the DOT said that a two-way physically separated bike lane on the Rotunda would be "infeasible" due to the direct impact on the operation of the Rotunda ramp to the garage level.

“The DOT has reviewed the 79th Street rotunda options very closely and adjusted our proposal to reflect the community concerns while also proceeding with this critical structural repair project," a spokesperson from the DOT told Patch on Wednesday. "We believe this design will be safe, and will continue to work with the community on how to best upgrade bicycle infrastructure in the area.”

Project Cost + Bus Detours

The construction cost for the project is $150 million, with the roadway work expected to take 24 months and the total project to take 48 months.

Work is expected to start in the next few months.

Part of the project will be a bus detour for the M79, which generally uses the Rotunda on its route along the Upper Wes Side.

Given the detour, two temporary bus stops will be placed at the northside of West 79th street between West End and Broadway and the southside of West 79th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue.

You can watch the full DOT presentation for the new Rotunda below, the topic leads off the meeting.