🚗 The real purpose of DC’s traffic circles

What's CITY Talking About?

Battle For New DCA Flight Spots

Eight airlines applied to fill the five new long-haul flight slots at National Airport. Potential destinations include San Antonio, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, and San Juan, New Mexico. [ARLNow]

• Related: The new slots opened in May, amid concerns of overcrowding at DCA. [City Cast DC 🎧]

Woman Killed by Fallen Branch Identified

Sarah Noah, a 35-year-old Southeast resident, was killed by a fallen tree limb in Garfield Park this week. DDOT plans to inspect the park’s mature trees following the tragedy. [Washington Post 🔒]

Severed Thumb Murder

A woman in PG county has been accused of murdering her “sugar daddy” and severing his thumb to gain access to his bank account through his phone. Another woman has been charged and two other men are being questioned in connection with the crime. [City Cast DC 🎧]

What To Do

DC Insider Trivia

It’s been a minute since we did our weekly trivia! In case you forgot, I will ask a question to test your D.C. knowledge and reveal the answer in next week's trivia segment. The only rule, no googling!

First, Let’s Answer The Last Question:

D.C. has over 30 traffic circles, mostly designed by famous city planner Pierre L'Enfant. Why did he design the city to have so many circles?

1. They were meant to be artillery bases to defend the city.
2. He wanted to make D.C. feel like Paris, where he was born.
3. He designed them as park-like public spaces for downtown workers.
4. He imagined that each circle would honor a state — complete with state embassies in them. ⭐

It’s a common myth that L’Enfant designed D.C.’s circles as artillery bases with cannons in the center to easily defend the city. However, the truth is altogether more diplomatic.

In the 1790s, L’Enfant designed D.C. on a grid system with long, diagonal avenues to shorten travel. Where the avenues intersected, L’Enfant envisioned park-like spaces that would honor each state. He imagined each one would be complete with state embassies and programs to integrate the surrounding community.

However, years later when D.C. was actually taking shape, state pride had been replaced by pro-Union sentiments. So, the circles instead became the homes of various Civil War heroes. Only five circles in L’Enfant’s original plan are still around: Washington, Thomas, Scott, Logan, and Dupont.

🏆 Congratulations to Melanie P., Shaquita E., and Sherry L. for getting it right first!

Now Onto This Week’s Question:

This will be a shoo-in for loyal readers 👀 Roosevelt Island is a popular nature area between D.C. and Virginia. Before it became a park, it served many purposes. Which of the following does NOT describe the island at any time in history?

1. It was a cotton and corn plantation.
2. It was a home for the Nacotchtank Indians.
3. It was a U.S. Army training camp.
4. It was the old site of the National Zoo.

I’ll give you a hint, just this ONE time.

Today on City Cast

Severed Thumb Murder, National Mall Expansion, and A Summer Peak Bloom

We’re talking about the future of the National Mall, a spate of outlandish crime stories, and why you need to go to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens right now.