The Wendy’s at DC’s most hated intersection is in its final hours
A woman waiting to cross at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues NE. Image by GKJ.
Like your burgers with a side of traffic danger? Now is your last chance to visit the Wendy’s at the center of DC’s most bewildering intersection.
According to a tweet from Mayor Muriel Bowser last week, tomorrow (Tuesday) will be the last day of operation for the Wendy’s at the corner of New York and Florida Avenues NE.
The intersection, cheekily dubbed “Dave Thomas Circle” after the founder of Wendy’s, has long drawn the ire of drivers and pedestrians alike due to a confusing, pedestrian-hostile traffic pattern — and, bafflingly, the aforementioned fast food restaurant smack dab in the center of it.
The intersection has topped the list of most hated intersections in DC, amassing the most 311 complaints and more than 200 crashes since 2015.
DC allocated $35 million in its 2020 budget to fix the problem. Earlier this year the District purchased the Wendy’s using eminent domain as a step toward redesigning the intersection.
Plans for the redesigned intersection include three miniature public parks, protected bike lanes, and more visible crosswalks.
The Wendy’s closure leaves three other Wendy’s restaurants in the District — in Deanwood, Petworth, and at Union Station. Luckily for diners mourning the loss of the New York Avenue Wendy’s, there’s a McDonald’s right across the street… if you can get there, that is.