DC’s Dave Thomas Circle by airbus777 licensed under Creative Commons.

Those itching to see the progress made on the redesign project at the intersection of Florida and New York avenues NE, known by many as “Dave Thomas Circle” may soon get their chance. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is holding a public meeting Monday, May 17, to discuss the preliminary design proposal for the project.

The intersection is infamous to Washingtonians for its confusing traffic pattern and unfriendly bike/pedestrian landscape. A 2020 life plan study by DC’s Office of Planning found that Dave Thomas Circle was “despised” adding: “People surveyed during field work and online described the FL/NY intersection as a terrible place. People walking, biking, and driving experience the FL/NY intersection as frustrating and dangerous, and many try to avoid travelling through it.”

The data and bears this out. In March GGWash contributor Charlotte Jackson wrote about how Dave Thomas Circle was the most hated interaction according to 311 calls, and it’s racked up at least 241 police-reported crashes since 2015.

The redesign is an attempt to make the area safer, and reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. DDOT says the planned redesign will:

  • Realign and add two-way traffic to First Street NE;
  • Restore two-way traffic on Florida Avenue NE;
  • Add protected bicycle lanes; and
  • Create three new public park spaces.

Image of the 35% design  from DDOT.

Based on public and community feedback, DDOT plans to extend one-way protected bicycle lanes along Florida Avenue from a streetscape project southeast of the intersection, which starts at H Street, all the way to where Florida crosses Eckington Place and First Street NE (see map). This may be seen as a victory for some advocates who have been pushing for extended bike lanes through the intersection.

An image of the existing intersection, and one with the proposed bike lane extensions, from DDOT.

In February this year, DC purchased the Wendy’s restaurant in the eye of the infrastructural storm using eminent domain.

Three public park spaces are expected to be created in the redesign. The parks are a joint effort with DDOT, NoMa Parks Foundation, and the NoMa Business District which hired architectural firm SWA/Balsley to create the designs.

DC allocated $35 million in its FY2020 capital budget to spend over the next six years on acquiring the Wendy’s and redesigning the intersection.

Final designs are still in the works; DDOT is slated to have a completed design by the fall of this year. Construction would start in early 2022.