FSP 1.1

Growing Corolla

While Toyota claims its 2003 Corolla sedan has been designed to attract
younger buyers, it actually looks like a shrunken Camry. Available as a base CE,
luxury LE or somewhat sporty S, the new Corolla rides on a 102.4-inch wheelbase,
which is more than five inches longer than the Corolla it replaces, and just 0.7 inch
shorter than the current Honda Civic sedan. But 178.3 inches in overall length, it's
3.7 inches longer than the Civic. In fact, this new Corolla has exactly the same
wheelbase as the original 1983 Camry and stretches out 2.7 inches longer than that car.
-- NYT/Edmonds.

The rear wheel drive GT-S of 1984-1986 [*] (aka Trueno AE86) remains the one to own.
[*] Or 1985-1987.

Inside the grid

The New Museum's Living Inside the Grid
2003 February 28 — 2003 June 15.

583 Broadway
(between Houston and Prince Streets)
New York, NY 10012

Living Inside the Grid explores how contemporary artists around the world
are redefining the grid, one of the most significant motifs of 20th century art, in
response to major cultural shifts sparked by the growing confluence of art, new
media, architecture, and urbanism.

Interstate bugs

A few species of rare bugs are found only within two counties in Texas.
Therefore, they are regulated as interstate commerce. A nice way to
start a career.

The Bee Creek Cave Harvestman, the Bone Creek Harvestman, and the Tooth
Cave Pseudoscorpion are subterranean, eyeless arachnids (arthropods bearing four
pairs of legs and no antennae); they range in size from 1.4 to 4 mm. The Tooth
Cave Spider, a subterranean arachnid with eyes, measures 1.6 mm in length. The
Tooth Cave Ground Beetle and the Kretschmarr Cave Mold Beetle are subterranean
insects, the latter being eyeless; they vary in size from 3 to 8 mm..

Noted in appellateblog, and Greenlaw.

Coach pax not walking thru first class

A recent observation on flyertalk:

Boarding a plane is a joke! Everyone piles in, walking through classes of
service they don't belong in -- SHADO

There are worse problems, but I observe that NWA's Boeing 757 service
from SFO to DTW boards at the second door by row 14; from here,
coach is aft and first class is ahead.

What station are you ?

A good transit system provides both a
symbol of personal identity and pride (What station are you ?); and
an organizing system for the locality it serves.

The London Tube passes both tests.

Cal Henderson's London Bloggers Tube Map

NorthWest Airlines: New Livery

I think these new planes look fine, but the logo suggests
a doomsday clock at 10pm.

More like this: Frequent flyer blog, design blog.

[Picture credit: justplanes.com ]

Train, Bus: unsigned

Update 2003 March 29: Palo Alto Daily News

Caltrain spokeswoman Rita Haskin sent a
handwritten apology note to Bowman.
No signs have yet been posted at the station, however.

----
Published Sunday, 2003 March 23
Letters to the Editor

Caltrain mystery

I want to complain about the treatment Caltrain metes out to
passengers on weekends. (Editor's note: Train service on the
weekends has been suspended for two years so Caltrain can repair and
improve its tracks. Buses are being used on weekends instead).

There is no information whatsoever at the Palo Alto University
Avenue depot regarding the bus that runs in place of the train.
There is no agent to ask. All is locked down. People are going
around asking each other if they know where the bus leaves from.

Once they have discovered the location, they find out they should
have bought a ticket from the machines back at the depot. One sign
with the correct information near the ticket vending machines would
have helped many of us on Sunday, March 16, during a heavy rain
shower from getting drenched, running back and forth before we
finally succeeded in boarding our bus.

Trudy Bowman
Kipling Street
Palo Alto
[Palo Alto Daily News See also: caltrain.com/news_ctx_fact_sheet ]

More data for the APTA paper.

Taxing clean cars

Trade in your SUV for a clean car ? Pay more tax in the USA.
Something for Clean Air For Life to think about. Why are there no tax
breaks for LEMs and ULEVs, even as the California Vehicle License
Fee (VLF) triples. ?

Background: LEV, ULEV, SULEM explained; Californian incentives.

The Mercedes-Benz E500 gets no tax break for meeting the ULEV (ultra low
emissions vehicle) standard. This roomy sedan cannot plead the light truck
exemption, so it pays a fuel economy surtax of $1,000. -- NYT.

If you like cars, the E-series is a great car.
If you like driving, the BMW 5er is still better.

Update: 2004 Jan 30
The Assembly on Thursday defeated a proposal that would have taken
away business tax breaks for big vehicles such as Hummers and some
sport-utility vehicles.

The measure would have given Californians tax incentives to buy
reduced-emission vehicles instead. [MotoristNews, BATN].

Update 2004 May 08:

Should CA to buy back polluting clunkers with gas tax funds ? yes, maybe.

Parking with sidewalk

Parking lots should be surrounded by a perimeter sidewalk striped area
to make end of row spaces usable.

On the top level of the garage on Bay Street, Emeryville, CA.
See Marin County on the right and the Golden Gate Bridge behind the cherry picker.

Compare to parking lots without sidewalks.

Parking lots without sidewalks

Parking lots should be surrounded by a perimeter sidewalk.
Or at least the end spaces should have a paved path beside them.

After these trees grow it will not be possible to exit a car.
And if there weren't trees, there would be mud to walk through.

Near Bay Street, Emeryville, CA.

The clear space beyond the parking stall should be at least half the
width of the space. (With both side doors open, the MINI is wider
than it is long.)

SJC maps transit last

Public agencies should show transit lines on their maps.

Don't just show the station, show the line.
Where it comes from, where it goes to.

From SJC/Norman Mineta Silicon Valley's airport

See also SVMG's transitless maps.

SJC: no facilities

The San Jose, California Silicon Valley Norman Mineta Airport often ranks in the nation's worst.

Here's another reason why: no facilities inside security.

Nice logo though.