Akron sits on high ground between the Cuyahoga River valley and the Tuscarawas watershed, and its freeways meet near downtown. I-76 runs east to west across the city toward Youngstown and Medina, I-77 runs north toward Cleveland and south toward Canton, and the two share a stretch of freeway through the central city. I-277 crosses the south side, SR 8 runs north as a freeway toward Cuyahoga Falls, Stow and Hudson, and I-271 and the Ohio Turnpike pass through the townships to the north.
The central interchange where I-76 and I-77 come together is the busiest point in the region, and a breakdown there at rush hour backs traffic up quickly. On the surface, Market Street, Main Street and Arlington Street carry most of the traffic, and the hilly terrain means neighborhood streets climb, dip and wind rather than running flat. Portage Trail and Cuyahoga Falls Avenue link the north side with the Falls, and Manchester Road heads south toward the Portage Lakes.
Akron-Canton Airport sits south of the city in Green, and many travelers also use Cleveland Hopkins to the north. METRO RTA buses cover the city and the University of Akron. The Ohio and Erie Canal once climbed through the middle of town on a staircase of locks, and the Towpath Trail still follows it through downtown and north into Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which draws heavy weekend traffic.
For a mobile mechanic, Akron is a city of driveways and detached garages on hilly streets. Most homes have room to work, but many driveways slope, so the mechanic looks for level ground before jacking a car. Downtown garages and the campus area take a little more planning around parking rules, and older neighborhoods often put the garage at the back of a long, narrow lot.