City of Pittsburgh preparing for busy St. Patrick's Day weekend
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The city of Pittsburgh is gearing up to go green with hundreds of thousands expected to show off their parade passion this St. Patrick's Day weekend.
A new study recently showed that Pittsburgh is among the best cities in the country for St. Patrick's Day celebrations and that much will be obvious with a large crowd expected this weekend.
Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day safety plan
The city says they've got everything planned, from policing to where you can and can't park.
The parade route will be the same as most parades in the city of Pittsburgh.
"It will come down Grant Street and proceed down the Boulevard of the Allies. We expect the parade will last approximately until 2 o'clock," said Assistant Pittsburgh Police Chief Rich Ford.
And if you have a car parked on the route, take note.
"The tag and tow is going to start at 6 a.m. along the parade route. Those signs have been posted," Ford said.
After the parade, one of the traditional places to enjoy a few green beers is on East Carson Street on the South Side. In the past, things have gotten out of hand. To keep the peace, police say they'll be out and about in numbers.
If you plan on partying on the South Side and you're going to use a rideshare, parade organizers and police have plans for designated pickup and drop-off areas along East Carson Street.
Ahead of the holiday, Pittsburgh police have opened a new substation on the South Side along S. 18th Street at the old home of Zone 3 until it closed to move into the city's Allentown neighborhood.
Councilperson Bob Charland says it will be a place for the South Side Entertainment Patrol officers to do their jobs more efficiently.
A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Police says it's an office space where they'll be able to complete nightly reports, report for roll call, and respond quickly to incidents along the East Carson Street corridor.
With safety being a priority, police are asking anyone coming Downtown this weekend to behave and say that extra officers will be on duty in the city with mounted patrols on the street.
St. Patrick's Day celebrations
At places like the Harp and Fiddle Irish Pub in Strip District, business will get kicked up a notch this weekend.
Pittsburgh's St. Patrick's Day parade dates back to the mid-1800's and organizers claim it's the third largest in the country.
If you plan to come Downtown for it, be ready to enjoy marching bands, Irish step dancing, and even an appearance from Punxsutawney Phil.
The parade is set to start at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Greyhound bus station at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Street.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit says that nearly 50 bus routes will be detoured because of the parade with some of the detours lasting from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Most of the detours will begin at 9 a.m. and end when police reopen the streets around 2 p.m.
PRT will also be operating free rail shuttles in between stations and around the city while the closures are in place.