Thomas Circle -- Rebuilding The City Beautiful
With the planned reconfiguration of the roadways surrounding Thomas Circle, the District, in cooperation and support with the National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), decided to restore the Circle by re-incorporating the original L’Enfant vision. “We strongly support and endorse the proposal to restore the circle to its original appearance, as conceived in the original Pierre L’Enfant plan, and feel it would reinforce the historic character of the surrounding area.” (letter from Historic Preservation Office to DDOT, dated May 16, 2002).
The final design includes directing all vehicular traffic to the perimeter of the Circle, thereby eliminating the cut-through lanes. The consolidation allows for a large and more functional landscaped area. Continuing with the District Department of Transportation’s desire to incorporate more modes of transportation with smart-growth features in future transportation designs. The new configuration will include bicycle lanes and, for the first time, pedestrian access to the center of the Circle and the General Thomas’ statue.
Thomas Circle is surrounded by unique and vibrant residential neighborhoods. With this focus on inter-modal and smart-growth design, Thomas Circle and the surrounding Logan Circle community will be able to realize its full potential as a interactive and bustling community. The restoration and redesign of Thomas Circle will act as a catalyst completing one more essential element in the revitalization of this historic district.
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Thank you to the community newspaper, The InTowner, for alerting me to this story, and to Bill Rice of DDOT for providing photos.
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