Dave Thomas Circle

Dave Thomas Circle is the nickname for a small triangular block in Northeast Washington, D.C. and the surrounding streets and traffic pattern. It is bounded by Florida Avenue, New York Avenue and First Street Northeast.[1]

Not to be confused with Thomas Circle, a traffic circle in Northwest Washington, D.C., named for George Henry Thomas.

A 2010 project by the city's Department of Transportation made each of the streets one-way around the block, similar to a traffic circle. The department calls the traffic pattern a "virtual circle."[2]

The only property on the block features a Wendy's fast food restaurant franchise and its parking lot, leading to the Dave Thomas Circle name, after the late Dave Thomas, who founded Wendy's in 1969 and served as its long-time spokesman.

In 2019, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser asked for $35 million for the city to buy the Wendy's and reconfigure the intersection to make it better for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. It would likely eliminate Dave Thomas Circle. Her request is subject to approval by the Council of the District of Columbia.[3]

References
  1. Zak, Dan (December 26, 2017). "What's a Wendy's doing there? The story of Washington's weirdest traffic circle". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  2. "Virtual Circle". Florida Avenue Multimodal Transportation Project. District of Columbia Department of Transportation. 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  3. Kurzis, Rachel (March 20, 2019). "The City Just Got One Step Closer To Seizing The Wendy's In The Middle Of Dave Thomas Circle". DCist. Washington, D.C. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
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