What to know: 2013 Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration

CLEVELAND - With city of Cleveland officials expecting more than 300,000 people downtown for the St. Patrick's Day festivities, here are a few tips to get you through the day:

Safety:
-Follow and use #CLEStPats for up-to-the minute updates from @CLEpolice and @CLEsafety .

-Know your plan before you go: Check weather forecasts, road closures and agree on a meeting place in case you get separated. Cell phone service will be hard to come by with so many people downtown.

-Listen to local authorities and traffic controllers.

-Have a designated driver, call a cab or use public transportation if you drink.

-Come early and stay late, but be patient.

Parade:
-This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade starts at 2:04 p.m. That’s an hour later than usual.

-Crews will start closing the streets along to the route at about 12:30 p.m.

-The parade goes west on Superior from East 18th to East Roadway, north on East Roadway to Rockwell, east on Rockwell to East 6th Street, then northbound to St. Clair

-No parking along the route from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Transit:
-RTA is planning on extra riders, and will be increasing services on all the rail lines and many of the buses.

-The busiest times for RTA at right before and right after the parade.

-Plan your route on riderta.com or Google Transit

-All-day passes for RTA are $5. RTA employees will be selling passes at most rail stations. You can also buy them at the ticket vending machines or stores like Giant Eagle and Dave’s Supermarket.

-There are about 7,000 parking spaces in RTA’s system and parking is free at the rail lots.

-The parking lots at the West 117th and Brookpark stations have the most spaces, but fill up fast.

-Sunday trolleys on the C line and L line will be rerouted.

-Have questions? Call the RTAnswerline at 216-621-9500.