Today at noon, Pittsburgh will greet its conquering heroes.

Tens of thousands of Steelers fans will converge on Downtown Pittsburgh to see the victors of Super Bowl XLIII as they triumphantly return from Tampa, Fla., with the team's unprecedented sixth Lombardi Trophy.

A parade will start at the end of the East Busway, near the corner of Grant Street and Liberty Avenue. It will then head down Grant and turn right on the Boulevard of the Allies.

A stage will be set up at the Boulevard and Stanwix Street.

"We are excited to give fans an opportunity to celebrate with their team," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "Let's welcome home our guys and show the world what Pittsburgh and the Steeler Nation are all about."

For the Steelers' 2006 victory parade, as many as 250,000 fans jammed narrow Downtown streets, spilling onto Centre, Sixth, Fifth and Liberty avenues.

This year, organizers are shifting the route to wider streets, although they won't make any predictions about crowd size.

"It's hard to tell," city Public Safety Director Michael Huss said. "We're preparing for a large crowd."

The weather forecast for noon is for cloudy skies and a temperature of 27 degrees, with a "real feel" of 19 degrees.

There will be more than 150 police officers, and interlocking metal fences will line the parade route this time.

City officials are encouraging paradegoers to use public transportation.

The entire parade route will be closed to traffic from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. In the morning, parking will be prohibited along the Boulevard of the Allies. The Boulevard will also be closed between Commonwealth Place and Stanwix Street for band bus staging.

The Port Authority is advising customers to expect delays on some bus routes. More information is available at the agency's customer service line, 412-442-2000.

Traffic should return to normal by the evening rush hour.

Six high school marching bands will participate in the parade -- one for each Steelers Super Bowl victory. They are Thomas Jefferson, Bethel Park, South Fayette, Carrick, Perry and Brashear.

Riverboat shuttle service will be available for paradegoers who want to avoid driving Downtown.

The Gateway Clipper Fleet will run shuttles from Station Square to the Monongahela River side of Point State Park for the parade. Shuttle service will begin at 9 a.m. and will continue until the start of the parade. Return shuttles will begin immediately following the conclusion of the ceremonies and will continue for an hour. The cost will be $5, with no charge for children 6 and younger. The fleet will donate part of the proceeds to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Nancy Donati, who runs the front desk at Palomino Restaurant in Gateway Center, didn't need to watch the news yesterday to find out that the city had announced a parade. She knew from customers who immediately started flooding their phone lines.

"From the minute it hit, I could tell because the phone calls kept coming in," she said. "They said they wanted a table by the window -- I only have so many tables by the window."

Employees at Palomino have been advised to get to work early, Ms. Donati said, because the restaurant experienced staffing shortages three years ago when employees had trouble making their way to work across crowds and street closures.

Palomino customers might not have quite as good a view as they did three years ago, when the reviewing stand stood along Liberty Avenue near Gateway Center.

But workers and patrons in plenty of other businesses and buildings, from the Catholic Diocese to the U.S. Steel Tower to the Allegheny County Courthouse, will have a front row seat to the action today as the parade wends down Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies.

"It's the best-case scenario for the city," said Julius Troiani, a manager at Papa J's restaurant, which sits right on the boulevard. "Bringing people in and letting them have a great time is the best thing we can do for Downtown businesses."

And if Steelers fans were busy yesterday working out their game plan for getting Downtown today, some businesses were equally concerned about getting their employees to work on time.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership sent out an e-mail late yesterday afternoon advising businesses to prepare their staffs for congestion and delays, said Hollie Geitner, vice president of marketing and communications.

Public transportation is one of the best options, she said, but those intent on driving should consider parking at Station Square or on the North Shore, or using the new Grant Street Transportation Center.

She also urged retail establishments and restaurants to consider adjusting their hours to appeal to Steelers fans milling around Downtown.

Many businesses Downtown encouraged employees to wear their Steelers attire and to attend the parade -- with some limitations.

"Employees are encouraged to participate in the events," said Aaron Billger, a spokesman for Highmark, "provided it is during non-work time, such as lunch."

Pittsburgh Public Schools will operate on a normal schedule today. However, students are being encouraged to wear black and gold and to cheer at noon.