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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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The low floors, ample seating, and frequent service of the Washington, D.C. Circulators that supplement the city’s main transit system could be implemented by MARTA in certain midtown neighborhoods. Thomas Hamed, a current graduate student in the School of City and Regional Planning, thinks that the relatively short headways and smaller number of routes could mean certain groups of riders like tourists would be more attracted to them. This could lead to land use supporting more density, says Hamed, such as certain blocks seeing more retail once more potential customers show up. Hamed mentions Midtown, Decatur, and Downtown as potential areas for Circulator use. “MARTA may have to commit for several years before it sees results,” says Hamed. “After all, inducing demand and making place does take time. But with right branding and with cooperation from the neighborhoods, these new bus routes could help to spur density, and make the neighborhoods served a place to be at all hours of the day.”
