BART will offer free tickets for military members

Beginning in 2010, BART will offer free $50 tickets to active duty military personnel who are in the Bay Area on leave from the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, the agency's Board of Directors decided in a vote today.

BART is the first major transportation agency in the nation to offer free tickets to members of the military on leave from fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, according to agency officials.

The board decided in an 8-to-1 vote today to allow the service members to receive one ticket worth $50. The program will go into effect in January and last for a year.

"This is a small token of our deep appreciation to the men and women who leave their loved ones behind and put their lives on the line to defend our freedom," BART Board President Thomas Blalock said in a statement.

The program will issue up to $50,000 worth of the free tickets to military members who are in active duty, are on leave from Afghanistan or Iraq, have a valid order from the military to be on leave, and present the order and a valid military ID card to the Customer Services Center at the Lake Merritt BART station.

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