Atlanta sits on the rolling Piedmont plateau, and three interstates converge on its center. I-75 and I-85 merge into the Downtown Connector, a wide, crowded freeway through Midtown and downtown, before splitting again north and south of the city. I-20 crosses east-west just south of downtown toward Birmingham and Augusta. I-285, the Perimeter, loops around the city and its inner suburbs, and GA 400 runs north from Buckhead toward Sandy Springs and Alpharetta. Peachtree Street, the city's spine, runs from downtown through Midtown and Buckhead.
The Connector, the Brookwood split where I-75 and I-85 separate north of Midtown, the I-285 and GA 400 interchange and the I-20 approaches all back up every rush hour, and congestion often lasts most of the day. Surface streets such as Peachtree, Piedmont, Ponce de Leon, North Avenue and Moreland Avenue climb and dip over the city's hills. A breakdown on the Connector or the Perimeter is dangerous, so getting off at the next exit to a parking lot or side street is the priority before any repair.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport sits south of the city near College Park and Hapeville, surrounded by garages, economy lots and private park-and-ride lots. MARTA rail runs north-south and east-west through the city, and the BeltLine trail circles the intown neighborhoods, yet most people still drive. Parking decks are everywhere in Midtown, downtown and Buckhead, while many older intown homes have only street parking or a short driveway. Commutes here are long even by Sunbelt standards, and many drivers spend an hour or more in the car each day, so a breakdown costs more than the repair. Getting the car fixed at home or in the office deck means one less trip through traffic.