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The Dave Thomas Circle, located by the intersection of Florida Ave. NE and New York Ave. NE, will go through a massive $41 million transformation starting Wednesday.
WASHINGTON — There are few intersections in the District that are more unanimously hated by drivers than the Dave Thomas Circle. It's well-known for its heavy congestion and confusing one-way thoroughfares.
On Wednesday morning, speaking in front of local leaders and community members, Joe Bishop-Henchman, a local ANC Commissioner, gave the intersection a eulogy of sorts.
"Dave Thomas Circle, I've come to bury you," he said. "Not praise you."
The Wednesday event kicked off a $41 million construction project that will last until December 2024. Lawmakers smashed a brick wall with sledgehammer, and Mayor Muriel Bowser even got behind the wheel of a construction vehicle, to tear down part of the roof of the infamous Wendy's.
"Hot weather - cold weather," Bishop-Henchman continued, waxing poetic. "The District in bad times - the District in good times. Different mayors and different council members. But here you could always get a double bacon-ator. Something else you got - congestion, mayhem, death, and destruction.”
Mayor Bowser spoke about the need to revamp this often confusing roadway.
“Anyone who regularly travels through this intersection knows why it's necessary," she said. "People get stuck in lanes they don’t mean to be in. Drivers realize mid-turn that they’re going the wrong way. People get stuck in the middle of the intersection when traffic backs up. And pedestrians are scared to cross the street.”
The DC Department of Transportation lists the following improvements, as a part of this project.
- Extend protected bike lanes and upgrade existing ones
- Add street trees and green infrastructure
- Upgrade/replace curbs and ADA-accessible curb ramps
- Provide new signage and pavement markings
- Restore Florida Avenue NE to a two-way street
- Realign and convert First Street NE to a two-way street
- Replace streetlights, including adding accessible pedestrian signals
Director Everett Lott from D.C.'s Department of Transportation said that this was all about 'giving the space back to the public.'
"We want to eliminate that confusion," he said. "And make it safe for everyone. So we want to make it safe for those who are traveling by car. But also for those pedestrians who are walking back and forth from one neighborhood to another."
Dave Thomas Circle is named after the founder of Wendy's, which is why the city is now looking for a new name. The public is being asked to vote on their favorite among five options:
- Douglass Crossing
- Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Plaza
- People's Plaza
- Three Stars Plaza
- Tiber Gateway
If you want to vote online, NoMa BID is collecting votes here.
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