Tulsa sits along the Arkansas River, and its freeways wrap around downtown in a tight ring known as the Inner Dispersal Loop. I-44 crosses the city from the southwest, where it heads toward Oklahoma City, to the northeast toward Joplin, and I-244 runs through downtown and out toward the airport. US 75 runs north and south along the west side, US 169, the Mingo Valley Expressway, runs along the east side, and SH 51, the Broken Arrow Expressway, heads southeast toward Broken Arrow.
The Creek Turnpike loops around the south side, connecting Jenks and Broken Arrow, and the Gilcrease Expressway crosses the north side. Riverside Drive follows the river south from downtown past the Gathering Place, and Peoria Avenue, Lewis Avenue, Yale Avenue and Memorial Drive carry midtown and south Tulsa. Several bridges cross the Arkansas between downtown and Jenks, and the river crossings back up whenever a lane closes. Rush hour on the Broken Arrow Expressway and US 169 backs up, and a breakdown on either one is hard to escape.
Tulsa International Airport sits on the northeast side off I-244, and its long-term lots are a common place for a car to need a jump or a battery after a trip. Tulsa Transit buses cover the city, and the University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University, OSU-Tulsa and Tulsa Community College draw daily traffic, along with the aerospace and industrial employers around the airport.
For a mobile mechanic, Tulsa is a city of driveways and garages. Midtown's older homes often have detached garages and alley access under big oaks, while south Tulsa and the suburbs have newer homes with attached garages and wide streets. Downtown garages and the campus areas take a little more planning around parking rules.