Dave Thomas Circle is being redone and I, for one, am counting down the days. The intersection – Florida Avenue NE and New York Avenue NE – is so notorious for gridlock and mayhem that people have made Halloween costumes based on it.
The $35 million redevelopment begins in July and is scheduled to end in 2025. NoMa’s BID Director Maura Brophy says the new intersection will be “easier to navigate for drivers, for pedestrians, and for cyclists, and it will include three public spaces that will bring green space to the intersection.”
Specifically, the city is restructuring traffic patterns and cutting out smaller feeder streets to help with congestion. It’s also adding protected bike lanes and adding an acre of green space in place of the former Wendy’s (RIP).
Most importantly, they are renaming the circle (because well, for starters, it’s not even a circle) and are looking for suggestions.
Brophy says they’ve had over 1000 nominations so far, so make yours unique. You can submit here before Sunday, June 25.
We go over the funniest name suggestions and details of the renovation with Brophy in this City Cast DC episode. The best names will be put up for a final public vote, so keep your eyes peeled.
