Green Line kickoff: Hours, cost, festivities

GRAND OPENING: To celebrate the new Green Line, all Metro Transit rides — bus, light-rail and commuter rail — will be free Saturday and Sunday.

FARES: Green Line fares match those used on the Blue Line and local bus routes — $2.25 during weekday rush hours (6 to 9 a.m., 3 to 6:30 p.m.) and $1.75 during off-peak hours. Adults 65 and older, kids between 6 and 12, and Medicare cardholders pay 75 cents during off-peak hours.

HOW TO PAY: Cash, passes or Metro Transit's Go-To cards. Buy tickets at the stations.

TICKETS: They're good for 2 1/2 hours and can be used for return trips or transfers to other Metro Transit bus or rail service for no additional charge.

HOURS: Trains will run every 10 minutes throughout the day, every 10 to 20 minutes in the evening and in the morning before rush hour, and once an hour from 1 to 4 a.m.

SPEED LIMIT: Trains typically won't go faster than 35 miles per hour, and they'll be slower in the downtowns and at the University of Minnesota.

WILL YOU BE THERE? Tag your photos of the Green Line with @startribune or #stgreenline on Twitter or Instagram, and we'll include the best online Saturday.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Click on www.metrotransit.org/greenline

KEVIN DUCHSCHERE