Metro (stylized as METRO) is a transit network in Minnesota serving the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. As of 2025, the system consists of two light rail lines (Blue and Green Lines) and eight bus rapid transit (BRT) lines (Gold, Orange, Red, A, B, C, D, and E Lines), all of which are operated by Metro Transit, a service of the region's metropolitan planning agency. The nine lines connect Minneapolis and Saint Paul with surrounding communities.
History In the 1970s, roughly contemporaneous with the construction of Washington D.C.'s Metro system and San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit, the newly formed Metropolitan Council contemplated the creation of a similar mass transit for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, but the idea was eventually abandoned due to opposition from the Minnesota Legislature. For the next few decades, there were repeated proposals to build light rail along several corridors, particularly the University Avenue corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul (the present Green Line), but the idea of light rail only gained steam in the late 1990s.
In 1999, the Minnesota Legislature approved funding for the first line (the present Blue Line) along Hiawatha Avenue (initially named the Hiawatha Line) in south Minneapolis, which opened in 2004, initially just to Fort Snelling station in June, and to Mall of America station in December. In 2011, in anticipation of the opening of the Red Line and Green Line, and in order to help passengers better identify with each of the routes, Metro Transit announced that the system would be rebranded and each line assigned a unique color. The first phase of the Red Line bus rapid transit (BRT) opened in mid-2013, and the first phase of the Green Line (also known as the Central Corridor) in mid-2014.
The first arterial BRT line, the A Line, which operates along Snelling Avenue between 46th Street station at the Blue Line and Rosedale Transit Center in Roseville, and also connects to the Green Line, opened on June 11, 2016. The C Line, running on Olson Memorial Highway and Penn Avenue from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Center Transit Center in the northwest suburbs, opened on June 8, 2019.
Prior to August 17, 2019, service along the entire length of the Green Line operated 24/7, the only one of 22 light rail systems in the United States to do so, but a common practice on some heavy rail lines such as the New York City Subway and PATH. The service gap from 2AM to 4AM was replaced by bus service. The current schedule on the Blue Line sees the first departure at 3:19AM and the last arrival at 12:50AM. On the Green Line, the first departure is at 4:29AM and the last arrival is at 12:10AM. Metro Transit also provides a shuttle service between the stations serving Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) and Terminal 2 (Humphrey) of Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport during the overnight service gap on the Blue Line.
The Orange Line, which connects Burnsville to downtown Minneapolis via Interstate 35W, with stops in Bloomington, Richfield, and south Minneapolis, opened on December 4, 2021. The D Line, running between the Mall of America and Brooklyn Center Transit Center via downtown Minneapolis via Chicago and Fremont Avenues, opened on December 3, 2022. The Gold Line, which is the system's first BRT line operating primarily on exclusive lanes, opened on March 22, 2025, and connects communities between downtown Saint Paul and Woodbury along the Interstate 94 corridor. The B Line, serving the Selby-Lake corridor between Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, opened on June 14, 2025. The E Line, connecting Southdale and Westgate via Downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota, opened December 6, 2025.
Current system
Lines Light rail: Blue Line: Target Field Station – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – Mall of America Green Line: Target Field Station – University of Minnesota – Union Depot Bus rapid transit (BRT): Gold Line: Union Depot – Woodlane Park & Ride Orange Line: Downtown Minneapolis – Burnsville Heart of the City Red Line: Mall of America – Apple Valley Transit Station A Line: 46th Street station – Rosedale Transit Center B Line: Lake & France – Union Depot C Line: Downtown Minneapolis – Brooklyn Center Transit Center D Line: Mall of America – Downtown Minneapolis – Brooklyn Center Transit Center E Line: Southdale – Downtown Minneapolis – Westgate
The current Metro system consists of 10 lines. There are two light rail lines: the Blue Line, which runs from Target Field in downtown Minneapolis to Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport and the Mall of America, and the Green Line, which runs from Target Field through the University of Minnesota to Union Depot in downtown Saint Paul. Bus rapid transit (BRT) lines named for a color operate primarily on freeways and bus-only guideways, including the Red Line, which serves as an southward extension of the Blue Line across along Cedar Avenue where it connects with southern suburbs at four different stations, and the Orange Line, which runs along Interstate 35W from downtown Minneapolis south into Richfield, Bloomington and Burnsville. In addition, the Gold Line, operates primarily on a dedicated transitway parallel to Interstate 94, the region's first BRT route to do so. Finally, the six arterial BRT lines, named with letters, serve various corridors throughout the metro and operate in mixed traffic, with transit advantages such as transit signal priority and bus lanes. The A, B, C, D, and E Lines function as upgrades to existing local bus routes and connect with other Metro lines at certain shared stations.
The main hub of the system is downtown Minneapolis, which is served by the Blue, Green, Orange, C, D, and E Lines, with future connections planned for the Gold, F, H, and K Lines. Mall of America station is also a hub, served by the Blue, Red, and D Lines, with planned service through the J Line. Saint Paul Union Depot is envisioned as an additional future hub, currently connecting to the Green, Gold, and B Lines and the Bronze and G Lines in the future.
Most trains and buses run at least every 15 minutes throughout the day, with reduced schedules at night and on weekends, and have transit advantages such as bus lanes and transit signal priority. All routes feature enhanced station amenities such as heating, pay-at-the-station boarding, and electronic NexTrip displays that show predicted real-time departure information. Predicted real-time departure information and route planning is also available through Metro Transit's website.
Fares
Metro uses a proof-of-payment system, requiring riders to carry tickets at all times. Fares are purchased before boarding, either at ticket machines located in the stations or by scanning a Go-To card at dedicated terminals. Tickets are valid for 2 1/2 hours after purchase. An unlimited number of transfers between Metro lines and Metro Transit bus routes within the same fare level are allowed within this period. Within the two Downtown Zones of Minneapolis and St. Paul, tickets are 50¢, but do not allow transfers. Certain buses operating on Nicollet Mall are marked as Free Ride. Otherwise, standard fares apply. Adults: $2 Youth (ages 6-12), Seniors (ages 65+) and Medicare card holders: $1 Persons with disabilities: $1 (Regular and express) Children under 5: Free with paying rider. Limit is 3. Express Bus: $3.25 rush hour, $2.50 otherwise ($1/$3.25 for youth, seniors, and Medicare card holders) (Rush hour is classified as Monday - Friday, 6-9 am & 3-6:30 pm)
In addition, all-day passes are sold. Passes for various lengths of time or numbers of trips at also available to be loaded onto Go-To cards.
All University of Minnesota undergraduate and graduate students (that pay the Transportation and Safety fee) are provided a Universal Transit Pass through their U-Cards. This allows Student-IDs to be used for unlimited rides on all regular route transit busses, Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit. Staff at the Twin Cities Campus may be eligible for a Metropass, this pass allows all the same benefits as the Universal Transit Pass. As of January 2023, cost of this pass is $83 per month. This will reach a break even point after between 26 and 33 trips per month.
Passengers at Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport can use the Blue Line between the Terminal 1-Lindbergh station and Terminal 2–Humphrey station free of charge. These two stations are served 24/7.
Future Several expansion projects are planned for the Metro system, at various stages of completion. These include both light rail extensions and bus rapid transit services.
Under construction
The Green Line extension is an under construction expansion of the Green Line, running from Target Field Station to the southwestern suburbs of St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie, terminating at SouthWest Station. The project was given federal approval in November 2018, and ground was broken on construction on November 30, 2018. Completion of the project is expected in 2027, at an expected cost of over US$2 billion. It will be the largest infrastructure project in state history.
An extension of the Gold Line is under construction, which will connect the route to downtown Minneapolis via Interstate 94 with an anticipated opening in 2027. It will replace the existing Route 94 and primarily travel on existing shoulders with a stop at Snelling Avenue to connect to the A Line.
Planned projects The Metro Blue Line Extension is a planned extension of the Blue Line to Brooklyn Park. After failing to come to an agreement with BNSF over co-locating light rail and freight trains in the railroad's corridor, the Metropolitan Council announced they would begin to "explore opportunities to advance this critical project without using BNSF Railway right of way." New alignments for the southern portion of route were presented for public comment in March 2021 and it was determined that the Blue Line extension will primarily run along Bottineau Boulevard (County Road 81).
The Bronze Line, formerly known as the Purple Line and the Rush Line Corridor, is a planned bus rapid transit route that will run between downtown Saint Paul and the Maplewood Mall Transit Center in Maplewood. As the Purple Line, the project was proposed to run predominantly on the Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority corridor adjacent to the Bruce Vento Regional Trail from downtown Saint Paul to downtown White Bear Lake. However, this route was eliminated in favor of studying an alignment along White Bear Avenue terminating somewhere in Maplewood as the White Bear Lake City Council passed a resolution requesting that the route not enter their city in March 2022. In October 2024, the Maplewood City Council also withdrew its support for the Purple Line. In December 2025, Metro Transit announced the Bronze Line as a reimagined version of the Purple Line, roughly following the White Bear Avenue alignment.
The F Line is an arterial bus rapid transit route undergoing planning that will run between downtown Minneapolis and Northtown Transit Center in Blaine. It will run mostly along Central and University Avenues (existing Route 10). Construction was originally anticipated for 2025, but has been moved to 2028 to align with roadway improvements by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).