Baltimore wraps around the Patapsco River and its harbor, and the interstates thread around and under the water. I-95 runs through the city and under the harbor in the Fort McHenry Tunnel, while I-895 crosses through the older Harbor Tunnel. I-83, the Jones Falls Expressway, runs north from downtown toward Towson and Timonium, and I-395 carries traffic into downtown near the stadiums. I-695, the Baltimore Beltway, circles the city through the surrounding counties, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway heads south toward BWI and Washington.
Inside the city, Pratt and Lombard streets form a one-way pair through downtown and the Inner Harbor, Charles Street and St. Paul Street run north through Mount Vernon and Charles Village, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard wraps around the west side of downtown. Most of the city is rowhouses, and most rowhouses have no driveway, so cars live on the street, often under residential permit rules. Some blocks have rear alleys with parking pads. I-95 and the Beltway back up at rush hour, and the tunnels are stressful places to break down. One-way streets are the rule in much of the city, which makes clear directions and a nearby cross street especially useful.
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport sits south of the city in Anne Arundel County. The MTA runs light rail, the Metro Subway and buses, and MARC trains connect Baltimore with Washington. Many people still drive, and a repair done where the car is parked saves a hunt for a new spot and a trip across town. Festivals, parades and race-day closures also tie up downtown streets, so planned repairs go easier on ordinary weekdays.