The city's Crossroads of America nickname comes straight from its interstates. I-465 forms a full beltway around Indianapolis, and I-65, I-70, I-69 and I-74 all meet it from different directions. I-65 and I-70 overlap through downtown in the inner loop, splitting at the North Split and South Split interchanges. I-69 comes in from the northeast past Fishers and from the southwest toward Bloomington, while I-74 runs northwest toward Champaign and southeast toward Cincinnati. Meridian Street and Washington Street divide the street grid into quadrants.
The beltway and the downtown splits are where breakdowns cause the most trouble. I-465 on the north side, especially near Keystone Avenue and US 31, carries heavy commuter traffic every day, and the inner loop backs up at rush hour and whenever there's a game or convention downtown. Surface roads like Keystone Avenue, College Avenue, 38th Street and 86th Street connect neighborhoods to the interstates. Outside downtown, most homes have driveways or alleys, and the city's wide streets give a mechanic room to work. Race month in May and big stadium events add their own traffic, especially on the west side around Speedway and downtown near the convention center.
Indianapolis International Airport sits on the southwest side, and its economy lots see plenty of cold-weather no-starts. IndyGo runs bus rapid transit lines along College Avenue and toward Lawrence, plus regular bus routes across the county. The Monon Trail and the Cultural Trail connect neighborhoods for bikes and walkers. Still, Indianapolis is a driving city through and through, and a repair at home or at work beats a trip across the beltway to a shop.