Dave Thomas Circle
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junctionFlorida Avenue, New York Avenue and First Street Northeast, with O Street Northeast and Eckington Place Northeast
| Dave Thomas Circle | |
|---|---|
 View of the namesake Wendy's restaurant in 2017, looking west along O Street | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Eckington, Northwest Washington, D.C. | |
| Coordinates | 38°54′32″N 77°00′20″W / 38.90896°N 77.00549°W |
| Roads at junction | Florida Avenue, New York Avenue and First Street Northeast, with O Street Northeast and Eckington Place Northeast |
| Construction | |
| Maintained by | District of Columbia Department of Transportation |
Dave Thomas Circle was the unofficial nickname for a small triangular block in Northeast Washington, D.C., and the surrounding streets and traffic pattern, which existed from 2010 to 2024. It was bounded by Florida Avenue, New York Avenue and First Street Northeast, with O Street Northeast and Eckington Place Northeast also terminating along the block. It was located on the eastern edge of the L'Enfant Plan.[1]
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The circle was a result of a gap in the original L'Enfant Plan. The plan ended where east-west O Street and north-south First Street reached Boundary Street (now Florida Avenue), where they met Tiber Creek, which was eventually buried and culverted over.[1] As development increased over time, traffic congestion increased. Until 2021, the only property on the block was a Wendy's fast food restaurant franchise and its parking lot, leading to the unofficial Dave Thomas Circle name, after Dave Thomas, who founded Wendy's in 1969 and served as its long-time spokesman.
A 2010 project by the District 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 intersection developed a reputation as one of the most chaotic and dangerous intersections in Washington, D.C. In 2018, the intersection of New York Avenue and First Street saw 102 crashes, making it the second most dangerous in the city.[3] DDOT attributed the issues to "a combination of unusual geometry, turning movements, closely spaced intersections, and high traffic volumes."[4] Drivers frequently encountered long traffic jams, especially at the intersection of Florida and New York Avenues.[5]
