August 8, 2006 > Kids can ride free on BART

by Jim Allison

It's a summer Saturday and the kids are itching to get out of the house, but the freeways and bridges are a mess and the days of gas under $3 a gallon now seem like a distant memory. What to do? BART and its partners have the answer: Kids Ride Free Saturdays!

For the month of August, children age 12 and under can ride BART for free on Saturdays, courtesy of VIZ Media, the San Francisco-based publishing, licensing and animation company that has brought the well-loved Pokemon characters and many other wildly popular series the U.S.

"We've got exciting, entertaining and economical destinations lined up for the first three Saturdays and a really fun gift pack on the last Saturday thanks to VIZ Media," said BART board president Carole Ward Allen.

Like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, each Kids Ride Free Saturday has a big payoff at a destination. BART has arranged for special promotional offers from the California Academy of Sciences, the Oakland A's, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. VIZ Media will be distributing free "Kid Packs" of manga, anime and more to children at Powell Street Station on Aug. 26.

Kids Ride Free Calendar
Every Saturday in August California Academy of Sciences
Children (under 12) get in free with an adult paid admission.

Aug 12- Oakland A's vs. Tampa Bay
$14 ticket for just $5

Aug 19- Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
$15 ticket for just $5

Aug 26 Free VIZ Media Kids Packs
Kids show their flash pass or BART ticket at Powell St. Station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to receive free manga & anime kids pack.

Here's how it works: An adult must accompany the children and there is a maximum of two children riding free per fare-paying adult. The children show their special Kids Ride Free flash pass to the Station Agent and enter and exit through the swing gates. The Kids Ride Free flash passes are available at all BART stations and at most Safeway stores.