…you see a roadsign marked “Santa Rosa Jr College” and wonder to yourself Who is Santa Rosa, Junior?

On January 14, 2005, Boeing announced plans to end production of the 717 jetliner. Obviously, this isn’t new news, but browsing through the Boeing Web site, I was rather surprised to discover that not only was there an aircraft I had never heard of, but that it was being canceled less than six years after first delivery. The aircraft doesn’t appear to have been a flop; the sales numbers I saw looked fairly healthy.

After reading a bit more about the history of the 717, I think I understand better. The 717 is really the McDonnell-Douglas MD-95, the successor to the DC-9/MD-80/MD-90. The 717 was designed and built in former Douglas facilities. I guess the aircraft was far enough along in its development prior to the 1997 merger—the first order was placed in 1995—that Boeing kept it around for a while before deciding to discontinue it with the other McDonnell-Douglas products.

I do find it amusing that the same Web page declaring that Boeing is concluding 717 production declares it “the world’s best jetliner specifically designed for the short-haul, high frequency 100-passenger airline market.”

Caltrain has posted their new schedule. Beginning August 1st, the number of weekday trains increases from 88 to 96. The idea is to run more trains, but since more of them are express trains, which both attract more passengers and cost less to run, it will save Caltrain money. Among other changes, this new schedule cuts service to less frequently used stations, including the one closest to me (San Antonio).

With today’s (effective May 2nd, 2005) schedule, 31 northbound and 32 southbound trains stop at San Antonio each weekday, approximately one every half hour. The new schedule has 26 trains stopping there in each direction. What’s interesting is the schedule: For example, between 7:00am and 10:00am, fourtheen northbound trains will come through San Antonio, but only three will stop. Similar numbers hold during evening peak hours and in the cross-commute direction. But during non-peak hours (10am to 4pm), when Caltrain runs two trains an hour, all of them still stop.

In other words, during mid-day, I can catch Caltrain every thirty minutes. But during the morning and evening commute hours, only one train per hour stops at San Antonio station, even though more than twice as many trains are running.

I understand the reasoning behind this schedule, but I find the way it turned out a little amusing.