Cab fares drop

Seattle's temporary taxicab fuel surcharge — the extra charge cab drivers are authorized to add to the fare shown on the cab meter and for fixed-rate trips to the airport from downtown — has dropped back to 50 cents per trip because gas prices have dropped at the pump.

The 50-cent surcharge is pegged to the AAA-reported price of unleaded regular gas, which has remained below the $2.90-per-gallon trigger for the $1 surcharge for more than 14 days. The city-imposed surcharge was reduced Monday from $1.

The city authorized the 50-cent surcharge in late July, then increased it to $1 in mid-September as gas prices rose.

Cab drivers must, by law, post notices about current fuel surcharges on cab dashboards.

Convoys on the road

Starting today, convoys of military vehicles, including about 300 Stryker vehicles, will be on the road this week headed from the Port of Olympia north along Interstate 5 to Fort Lewis. Hundreds of vehicles belonging to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) arrived at the Port by ship last weekend from Iraq.

Convoys will be on the road daily between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., but not during morning and evening rush hours, through Friday.

The returning Stryker vehicles still have the slat armor installed that protected them from rocket-propelled grenades, and that armor makes the vehicles very wide, so passing vehicles should use caution.

As they reach Fort Lewis, the convoys will enter the military base at either the DuPont gate (exit 119) or the Logistics Center gate (exit 123).

Getting around

Starting today, Port police have been directed to start ticketing people illegally parked along the shoulders of roads leading into the airport. Illegally parked cars have drawn a number of complaints, mostly from airport-bound motorists concerned about safety on the airport approach known as Airport Expressway.

The Port says drivers needing a place to wait for a phone call from arriving passengers should use the free cellphone waiting lot off South 170th Street, in front of the Doug Fox parking lot.

Here's how to find the lot: From the Airport Expressway, take the 170th/Air Cargo exit. Make two left turns onto South 170th Street and look for the lot on your left.

From Highway 99, go west on South 170th Street. The lot will be on your right just before the Airport Expressway onramp.

To get from the cellphone waiting lot to curbside at baggage claim, drivers should go right (west) out of the lot, pass under the Airport Expressway ramp, take two right turns and follow the signs to baggage claim. Port officials say the trip should take about two minutes or less. To see an online map, go to: www.portseattle.org/seatac/ground/parkingcell.shtml.

Can you help?

The Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas is making plans for a community reading of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech during an annual Martin Luther King Day celebration at Seattle Center on Jan. 16.

The reading is open to community participation, but those interested must first submit a brief synopsis (no more than 500 words) of their personal "mountaintop" story by Friday. Casting will be based on story review and an interview by the director of the presentation. No acting experience is necessary. Rehearsals will be held in early January. Participants will be paid an honorarium.

For information, call 206-323-4032, or e-mail: deneem@cdforum.org (use the subject line: MLK Reading).

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson.

To submit an item, e-mail herenow@seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.