From this point on, the history of Washington, D.C. could credibly be divided into two distinct eras: BDTC, and ADTC. And on Wednesday, residents and city officials happily bid goodbye to the first and welcomed the second, as work started to transform the long-cursed Dave Thomas Circle intersection at Florida and New York Avenues NE in NoMa.

The $41 million project is kicking off with the demolition of the Wendy’s that stood at the heart of the intersection, both fascinating and infuriating the legions of drivers who were regularly stuck in the hellish traffic pattern that was designed around the complicated confluence of roadways that serve as a gateway in and out of the city.

When the revamp is completed in 18 months, city officials say traffic will flow more freely and predictably through the intersection, pedestrians and cyclists will have safer routes to cross, and new green space will help offset the asphalt horizon.

“Dave Thomas Circle: I come to bury you, not praise you,” said Ward 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Joe Bishop-Henchman at an event marking the start of the demolition of the Wendy’s building, which D.C. took by eminent domain in 2021 as a means to make broader changes to the intersection. (That came at a cost of $13 million.) “I will miss the Frostys. But not the spot over there where my friend was knocked over on his bike.”

“Let’s all say, ‘Goodbye Dave Thomas Circle,'” echoed Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We are ready to transform this chaotic and dangerous intersection. This is a very important intersection, and it’s vitally important that we get it right. Sometimes we get transportation projects right. This one we didn’t.”

Bowser was referring to the last time the city reconfigured the intersection in 2010, addressing some concerns while merely giving birth to new ones. This time, she said, they hope to create an intersection that works well for all users, except perhaps those desperate for a Baconator or Pretzel Bacon Pub Double.

And the physical transformation of the intersection will also come with a new name, which D.C. officials are asking the public to help pick. Voting on five choices — Douglass Crossing, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Plaza, Peoples Plaza, Three Stars Plaza, and Tiber Gateway — will remain open until Aug. 25.

“We’re standing on the legacy of a lot of bad decisions,” said Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the council’s transportation committee. “This is going to be a safer space for our residents.”

As for Bowser, Bishop-Henchman said she would earn herself a new honorific: “D.C.’s first post-Dave Thomas Circle mayor.”