City guide
REO Town Breakdowns Near Lansing: What to Do First
If your car quits in REO Town, Lansing, first get it out of traffic and turn on your hazards. Then pin down where you are. Give the nearest cross street on South Washington Avenue, or the border road you're on: Malcolm X, Cedar, Mount Hope or MLK. In winter, check for a city snow emergency before you leave the car on the street. Most REO Town trouble is a dead battery or a flat, and both can often be fixed where you sit.
Where exactly is REO Town?
REO Town is the district just south of downtown Lansing, across I-496. It takes its name from Ransom Eli Olds. His REO company once built cars right on South Washington Avenue.
It has clear edges, and they help a lot when you call:
- North: West Malcolm X Street, which also runs beside I-496.
- East: South Cedar Street, which carries Business Loop I-96.
- South: West Mount Hope Avenue.
- West: Townsend Street, the Grand River and South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The shops sit along South Washington Avenue. The homes are in three neighborhoods: Fabulous Acres, Moores Park and River Point. The tall Board of Water & Light power plant on South Washington is hard to miss. It makes a good landmark if you can't see a street sign.
What should I do in the first minute?
If anyone is hurt, or your car is stuck in a live lane, call 911 first. Sentinel is not an emergency service.
If you're safe, run through this list:
- Hazards on. Do this before anything else, day or night.
- Get to the curb if the car still rolls. A side street off Washington beats a busy travel lane.
- Note the cross street. Look for the nearest corner sign before you dial.
- Notice what the car did. Did it click, crank slowly, go dead or thump? That tells the dispatcher what to send.
- Stay in the car with your belt on if you're on a busy road. Step out on the curb side only.
How do I describe where I am in REO Town?
"I'm in REO Town" is a good start. It isn't enough for a driver to find you. The district is wide, and the roads around it work in odd ways.
On South Washington Avenue
Give the nearest cross street and which side of Washington you're on. Say if you're in a parking lot, on the street or in a driveway. A lot behind a shop is a very different pickup from the curb lane.
On Malcolm X Street
This is the northern edge, and it acts as a service drive for I-496. Near Lansing Road, Malcolm X carries traffic eastbound on the south side of the freeway. St. Joseph Street runs westbound on the north side. If you just came off the freeway, say which of the two you're on. They sit on opposite sides of I-496.
On Cedar Street or MLK
Cedar is the east edge and part of Business Loop I-96. MLK is on the west side, near the river. Give the nearest cross street and the way you were heading: north toward downtown or south toward Mount Hope.
On I-496 itself
If you were on the freeway, give your direction and the last exit you passed. Michigan law lets you stop on a freeway only for an emergency or mechanical trouble. A breakdown counts, but don't wait there longer than you need to.
Is it a dead battery or something else?
REO Town calls are often the same story. You park for dinner or a show on Washington, and the car won't start when you come back. Here is how to read the signs:
- Rapid clicking, dim dash lights: almost always a weak or dead battery. A jump start usually gets you going.
- One loud click, bright lights: could be the starter. A jump may not help.
- Cranks fine but won't fire: could be fuel or ignition. Check your gas gauge first.
- Nothing at all: could be a dead battery or a loose cable. Try a jump first.
Lansing winters are hard on batteries. NOAA's normals for the Lansing airport show about 143 nights a year at 32 degrees or colder. The normal January low is about 17 degrees. A battery that limps through October often fails on the first hard freeze. If a jump works, drive straight to a shop or parts store and get the battery tested.
What if I have a flat in REO Town?
Pull off to the curb or into a lot if you can roll there slowly. Don't drive far on a flat. It can ruin the wheel.
If you have a good spare and a jack, a partner can put the spare on for you. Read more on our flat tire change page. Sentinel doesn't repair or patch tires. If you have no spare, or the spare is flat too, the car will need a tow to a tire shop.
Two things help your driver: tell us if you have wheel locks, and where the lock key is. And say if the flat side faces traffic. On Cedar or MLK, that changes how the driver sets up.
Can my car be towed if I leave it on a REO Town street in winter?
Yes, during a snow emergency. This is the rule that catches people off guard. Lansing's city code, section 404.12, lets the city ban street parking when snow or ice needs plowing or salting. There are three levels:
| Level | Where you can't park |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Downtown from 2 to 6 a.m., plus all hours on main, neighborhood and bus route roads named in the notice. |
| Level 2 | Downtown from 2 to 6 a.m., plus all hours in the rest of the city. |
| Level 3 | Everywhere in the city, all day and all night. |
A car left on a city street during a ban can be towed and impounded right away. To get it back, you pay the cost of the tow and storage, plus any parking fine. REO Town is outside downtown, so at Level 2 or 3 its streets are covered all day.
A block that has been plowed on both sides, end to end, after the notice goes out drops out of the ban. Don't count on that, though. The city announces snow emergencies on local TV and radio. Before you leave a dead car on Washington or a side street, check the city's winter weather page and snow plow map.
Sentinel doesn't do impounds. If the city already towed your car, contact the city to find out where it went. If it won't start once it's released, we can help with a tow to a shop.
Who actually shows up?
Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. When you call, we text you a price before anyone is sent. That price is the most you pay for the job. Then we stay with you by text until help arrives, and you get your driver's name, photo and truck. You can also track your truck on a map. That's our Stay-With-You Promise.
If the jump doesn't take, or the spare won't fit, we text you a new price for a tow first, and you decide. On a freeway shoulder, passing drivers must slow to at least 10 mph under the limit for a tow truck with flashing lights. Where they have two or more lanes, they must also move over one lane when they can.
For winter tips and the roads across the rest of town, see the Lansing towing page. Check MDOT's Mi Drive map for closures on I-496 before you head home.
Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.
REO Town Roadside Questions
My battery died on South Washington Avenue. Do I need a tow?
Usually not. If the car clicks fast or the lights are dim, a jump start often does it. If the jump doesn't work, we text you a price for a tow before anything changes.
Can I leave my dead car on a REO Town street overnight in winter?
Not during a Lansing snow emergency. At Level 2 or 3, street parking outside downtown is banned at all hours. A car left there can be towed and impounded right away. Check the city's winter pages first.
Is Malcolm X Street the same as I-496?
No. Malcolm X is a city street that runs beside I-496 as an eastbound service drive. St. Joseph Street is the westbound drive on the other side. Tell us which one you're on.
Can you fix my flat tire?
A partner can put your spare on. Sentinel doesn't patch or repair tires. If you have no usable spare, a tow to a tire shop is the next step.
Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: Lansing code 404.12 (snow emergencies), City of Lansing winter weather, City of Lansing snow plow map, MCL 257.672, MCL 257.653a, MDOT Mi Drive, NOAA climate normals.
