A new study of pedestrian and bicycle safety along Florida Avenue NE is suggesting changes to the “virtual” traffic circle at New York and Florida Avenues. In the long run, that “circle” and the nearby Wendy’s could become a simpler intersection and green space.

The current “circle” and short-term fixes. Images from DDOT. Click to enlarge.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) created the “virtual circle” arrangement as an “interim solution” in 2010 to deal with this difficult intersection. It was very difficult to navigate on foot or bike, and which had seen some very serious crashes.

The circle pattern routes traffic heading eastbound on Florida counter-clockwise along First and O Streets. It got the nickname “Dave Thomas Circle” because that triangle circumnavigates a Wendy’s, and to play off the name for Thomas Circle. Wendy’s also has many driveways connecting to the surrounding roads, and Eckington Place NE joins the tangle of roads here as well.

Since DDOT set up the “circle,” the severity and number of crashes has gone down, said Sam Zimbabwe, DDOT’s planning head who is overseeing the study. However, many people find it confusing and it takes up a lot of space.

Once, some suggested an interchange

At the time this pattern was conceived, DDOT studies recommended building a new overpass or tunnel so New York Avenue traffic could bypass the intersection. Some plans suggested extending the I-395 tunnel from its current terminus near 4th Street NW past Florida Avenue.

Image from the 2006 DDOT study.

But a 2006 NCPC study raised concerns about new tunnels or bridges. NCPC worried about how new large-scale auto infrastructure would create an even larger pedestrian barrier in the nascent NoMa neighborhood and between other adjacent areas. Since then, DDOT has largely dropped the idea of tunneling as a solution.

What could replace the circle?

The Florida study proposes some options to simplify the intersection. They would eliminate some turns, delete the block of O Street that’s now part of the “circle,” and either eliminate the block of First Street or reroute it to connect to Eckington Place NE.

2 options to replace the “circle.”

Tony Goodman is an ANC Commissioner for 6C06 in Near Northeast/NoMA and member of the DC Pedestrian Advisory Council. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, he is a Construction Project Manager with a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan and has lived in Washington, DC since 2002.



Florida and New York Avenues would get a bit wider to make room for turning lanes instead of the “jughandles” of the old design. Adding this right-of-way would almost certainly mean the city would have to take the Wendy’s by eminent domain. But that could make the intersection significantly better for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. It would also open up some land for green space or other uses. The National Capital Planning Commission has long envisioned this intersection as a potential future memorial site. In 2001 they named it as one of their top 20 “Prime Sites” in the region in the Memorials and Museums Master Plan . In addition to the longer-term proposals, later this year DDOT will make minor modifications to tweak how this intersection works. That includes changing which lanes get used for which types of turns, striping bike lanes, and adding new signs. One change will widen the turn radius at some key spots so that the 90s buses can traverse the circle. When DDOT set up the circle arrangement, Metro discovered its buses couldn’t fit, and had to reroute them onto North Capitol Street, adding minutes of extra time for every rider.