Police ramp up DWI patrols for St. Patrick's Day

Police are stepping up their patrols Tuesday to stop St. Patrick's Day revelers from driving drunk.

"We're going to be stopping people and citing them for speeding, and for no seat belts, and we're going to be focusing on DWI enforcement," said Sgt. John Eastham, spokesman for the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office.

Those who don't want to drive can take a free ride on public transit — all Metro Transit rides will be free from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., spokesman Howie Padilla said.

"It's Green Line, Blue Line, all our bus routes that are in operation. And after midnight, when a lot of people are still out, there's 29 bus routes that are in operation, in addition to all the Green Lines," he said.

Details can be found at the Metro Transit website.

Miller Beer is sponsoring the free rides. Some 48,000 people took free rides last year.

Metro Transit riders don't need tickets or passes. They can simply get on a train or bus. Nearly 30 bus routes will still be operating until early Wednesday morning. The Green Line runs 24 hours a day, although Blue Line trains shut down for the night about 2 a.m.