If you lived in D.C. long enough, you knew the fear. You’re driving down New York Avenue, the sun is hitting your windshield just right, and suddenly you’re trapped in a geometric nightmare. For decades, the intersection of New York Avenue, Florida Avenue, and First Street NE—better known as Dave Thomas Circle DC—was the city's most reliable punchline. It wasn't a real circle. It was a "virtual circle" that felt more like a motorized escape room designed by a spiteful urban planner.
At its heart sat a lonely Wendy’s. A burger joint on an island.
It’s 2026 now, and the landscape has shifted. The Frostys are gone. The "burger-scented death trap," as some locals affectionately called it, has finally been tamed. But the ghost of Dave Thomas still lingers in the way we talk about NoMa and Eckington. Honestly, you can’t understand D.C. traffic without understanding how this one tiny triangle of land held the entire city hostage for nearly forty years.
Why Dave Thomas Circle DC was such a mess
The chaos wasn't an accident. It was baked into the history of the city's map. Back in 1791, Pierre L’Enfant laid out the grand grid of Washington with those sweeping diagonal avenues we all love to hate. But he stopped his plan at Boundary Street (now Florida Avenue). When the city eventually grew past that line, the grid didn't line up.
You ended up with an awkward gap where O Street and First Street hit the boundary at a weird angle.
By the mid-1980s, a Wendy's franchise popped up on that orphaned triangular lot. Because the intersection was so complex, traffic engineers eventually forced drivers into a circular, one-way pattern around the restaurant. It was meant to help. It did not help.
The name "Dave Thomas Circle" was never official—it was a nickname given by frustrated commuters in honor of Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas. It stuck because it was easier than saying "that hellish intersection where I almost got sideswiped by a commuter from Maryland."
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The high cost of a better commute
By 2019, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) had seen enough. The data was pretty grim:
- In 2018 alone, there were 102 crashes at just one corner of the circle.
- Roughly 90,000 to 99,000 vehicles passed through daily.
- It was consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous spots in the District.
D.C. eventually used eminent domain to seize the property. They paid $13.1 million just for the land. That's a lot of spicy nuggets. The total project cost ballooned to about $41 million by the time construction really got moving in 2023.
The Rebirth: Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Plaza
If you drive through there today, the vibe is totally different. The Wendy's was demolished in July 2023, and by the summer of 2025, the city officially cut the ribbon on the new configuration. They didn't just fix the lights; they fundamentally re-engineered how the streets meet.
They basically killed the circle.
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First Street NE now runs straight into Eckington Place. Florida Avenue is two-way again. They even added protected bike lanes that actually connect to the rest of the city's network. But the biggest change is the public space.
Who is Mamie Johnson?
The area is now officially named Mamie "Peanut" Johnson Plaza. It’s a tribute to a local legend. Johnson was the first woman to ever pitch in the Negro Leagues, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns. She lived in D.C. for decades and even worked as a nurse here.
The new plaza features:
- Three distinct green spaces.
- A sculptural play structure for kids near the ATF building.
- Long benches and walkways that make the area feel like a neighborhood rather than a highway.
- Planted berms designed to soak up the noise from the constant stream of cars.
It’s still busy—let’s not pretend it’s a quiet Zen garden—but it’s no longer a confusing whirlpool of asphalt.
Is the traffic actually better?
The short answer is yes, mostly. Initial data from 2025 showed that crashes in the area dropped by about 40% compared to the old "circle" days.
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People are still getting used to the new left-turn signals from New York Avenue onto Florida Avenue. You'll still see some confused tourists trying to find the Wendy's they saw on an old Google Maps screenshot. But the "virtual circle" is officially a relic of the past.
Actionable insights for your next trip
- Don't look for the Wendy's: It’s gone. If you’re hungry, you’ll have to head over to Union Market or the nearby restaurants in NoMa.
- Watch the lanes: The new two-way traffic on First Street and Florida Avenue means you can’t just follow the car in front of you blindly like people used to do.
- Use the bike lanes: The new protected lanes are a massive improvement if you're commuting from Eckington toward Union Station.
- Check out the art: The city has plans for rotating public art in the three new park spaces, so keep an eye out for new installations.
The era of Dave Thomas Circle DC has ended. We’ve traded a burger island for a baseball pioneer’s plaza, and honestly, the city is a lot safer for it. Just make sure you double-check your GPS; the old shortcuts you used to take to avoid the "Circle of Death" probably don't work the same way anymore.