First, let's give a background of the transit system around Minneapolis and St. Paul. The main transit agency is known as Metro Transit. You may also see the name Metropolitan Council; think of this as a parent or oversight agency. Metro Transit is one operating division of the Metropolitan Council.
Metro Transit operates a huge system of buses in both cities and their suburbs. There are also other private companies that operate some routes; these are integrated into the route designation system. Within Metro Transit there is a subsystem known simply as Metro. Metro is a collection of light rail and bus rapid transit lines that operate on a frequent basis. The original Metro route was known as the Hiawatha Light Rail. It runs between downtown and the Mall of America in Bloomington, with the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport a major stop en route. The second light rail route opened last year between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul. With the advent of multiple routes the lines were color-coded, with the Hiawatha Line becoming the Blue Line, and the line between the two downtowns designated the Green Line.
There are three corridors under Metro that are bus rapid transit. The first one is the Red Line, which runs south from Mall of America as essentially an extension of the Blue Line. Another bus rapid transit line, which will operate along I-35W, will be known as the Orange Line. And recently designated is a third bus rapid transit corridor that will run to the east of St. Paul, known as the Gold Line, a rubber tired extension beyond St. Paul Union Depot of the Green Line.
The two light rail routes run interlined through downtown Minneapolis, splitting and joining near the Downtown East station. They run as far west as Target Field Station. Future extensions will take the Blue Line northwest from there, and the Green Line will turn to the southwest.
Also under Metro Transit is a commuter rail line known as Northstar. Norrthstar runs basically to the northwest of the city, as far as Big Lake. Its only station downtown is at Target Field, where one can transfer to or from the light rail lines.
Soon will come an explanation of the fares we can expect to pay during our visit.