In appreciation for the contributions of the men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces, Omnitrans is offering free bus rides to U.,S. military veterans on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11.
Veterans may simply show retired military ID when boarding any Omnitrans bus including the sbX rapid line, freeway express and local bus routes, or OmniGo community shuttles. Accepted IDs include those issued by U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs, and San Bernardino County Veterans Affairs.
“It's our way of saluting those who served to protect our freedom,” said Omnitrans CEO/General Manager P. Scott Graham, himself a veteran of the US Marine Corps. Approximately 79,000 veterans reside in the Omnitrans service area of the San Bernardino Valley, stretching from Yucaipa in the east to the Los Angeles County line in the west.
In January 2015, Omnitrans introduced a reduced fare category for veterans. “Since then, we have tallied over 100,000 rides taken by local veterans,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams. Osvaldo Maysonet, 211 Access & Mobility Coordinator for VetLink was instrumental in advocating for the discounted veteran fare.
“The introduction of a veterans fare by Omnitrans has meant the world to our veteran population of the San Bernardino Valley,” said Maysonet. “The thing I like the most is that Omnitrans sees this veteran fare not as a financial burden, but as just a small token of appreciation for their service to our country.”
211 VetLink Trip Planner
VetLink will launch its new trip planner tool at a ceremony at Omnitrans’ new San Bernardino Transit Center on Tuesday, November 10 at 10:30 am. The trip planner is a Web-based tool that conveniently assists veterans, service members, and their families in finding and learning about available transportation services and programs within San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. This tool can be accessed through a personal computer, tablet or mobile device. More event information here.
All Omnitrans bus routes will be running regular schedules on November 11. The Veterans Day free ride offer is not applicable to Access service for persons with disabilities.
Personalized trip planning assistance is available through the Omnitrans information center, at 800-9-OMNIBUS (800-966-6428), or online at www.omnitrans.org.
