Broken Arrow spreads across the prairie southeast of Tulsa, and two highways carry most of its traffic. SH 51, the Broken Arrow Expressway, runs northwest into downtown Tulsa and southeast toward Coweta and Wagoner, and the Creek Turnpike, a toll road, curves around the south and east sides of the city, linking it with Jenks and Bixby to the west and the Will Rogers Turnpike to the north.
The city is laid out on a mile grid. Kenosha Street, Albany Street, Houston Street and New Orleans Street run east and west, while Elm Place, Aspen Avenue, Olive Avenue and Main Street run north and south. Most trips across town are short, but morning traffic on the Expressway heading into Tulsa backs up near the US 169 interchange, and a stall there leaves little room to get off the road. The Turnpike moves faster and has wider shoulders, which makes it a safer place to wait for help.
Tulsa International Airport is a short drive northwest, and most Broken Arrow households commute into Tulsa daily. Northeastern State University has a Broken Arrow campus, the Rose District along Main Street draws evening and weekend crowds, and the industrial parks along the Expressway and the Turnpike keep plenty of work trucks on the road. Many families also make weekend trips on the Turnpike to the lakes of eastern Oklahoma, which adds highway miles and towing loads.
For a mobile mechanic, Broken Arrow is one of the easiest places in the metro to work. Most homes are newer, with attached garages and wide driveways, neighborhood streets are broad and quiet, and the commercial corridors have big parking lots. Some golf communities sit behind gates, and they simply need guest access arranged in advance. Most jobs happen in the driveway or garage during the day while the household is at work or school.