Bricktown in Oklahoma City: What Actually Helps When You Break Down

If your car dies in Bricktown, check one thing first: is any part of it in the streetcar's path? Cars that block the OKC Streetcar can be towed, so moving off the rails comes first. If you're in a public garage or lot, its office can send security for a jump start. In a private lot or on the street, call for a jump start, lockout help or a tow. Name the lot, the garage level and the closest landmark.

Where does Bricktown start and stop?

The City of Oklahoma City draws Bricktown's edges with the BNSF Railroad, Reno Avenue and I-235. A strip of railroad land between Main Street and NE 1st Street closes the loop. Inside that line, police call it the Bricktown Entertainment District. It's packed with lots, garages and people on foot. A few blocks out, you're on a freeway.

The police department runs its own Bricktown Division from 219 E Main St. That division covers the Bricktown Ballpark, the Paycom Center, the Bricktown Canal and Bass Pro Shop. Those are the places a driver can find fast, so use them when you call.

• The landmark you can see. "Across from the ballpark" beats "somewhere in Bricktown."
• The lot or garage name. Inside a garage, add the level and the row.
• The closest cross street. Reno Avenue and Main Street are easy ones to spot.
• Your map pin. Share it from your phone. On a packed night, a pin settles which corner you mean.

What if your car stalls on the streetcar tracks?

The OKC Streetcar rolls on rails in the same lanes as cars. It can't steer around you. The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority runs the streetcar website, and its rule is plain. Never stop, idle or park in the streetcar's path. That covers every vehicle, even delivery trucks.

The Bricktown Loop is a 2-mile route with 9 stops. It runs late on weekend nights:

Day	Bricktown Loop hours
Friday	6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Saturday	7 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday	7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

So a car that quits on the rails at midnight on a Saturday sits in the way of a working line. Here's the order that helps:

1. Turn your hazards on right away.
2. If the car still rolls, coast it to the curb and off the rails. Don't push it by hand through a crowd.
3. Look for a streetcar before you open your door. The authority gives that same tip.
4. If you're stuck in a live lane or anyone is hurt, call 911 before anything else.
5. Then call for help, and say the car is on the streetcar tracks.

Parked cars count too. The authority says to keep your whole car inside the white line, or risk a fine or a tow. If your car was towed for blocking the streetcar, call 405-246-7999.

Dead battery in a Bricktown lot: who do you call first?

Your battery dies in the lot after the game. Headlights sweep past and people stream by on foot. Where you parked decides your first call.

In a public garage or lot

The city's public garages and lots offer jump starts and a security escort. Call the parking office at (405) 297-2540. Give your space number, tag number, make and color. The office sends security to help you. Security will also walk you to or from your car at any hour.

One public lot keeps its own clock. The Santa Fe East Lot, with its entrance on Sheridan, is listed as the lot nearest the Bricktown streetcar platform. It's open to the public only from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. If your car dies there late, get it moving before 7 a.m.

In a private lot or on the street

Read the sign at the lot entrance. Note the lot's name and any posted rules. Then call for a jump start. Tell dispatch what the car did when you turned the key. A click, a slow crank and total silence point to different problems.

Cold makes a weak battery worse. NOAA normals show about 61 nights a year at or below freezing in Oklahoma City. A battery that started fine at 7 p.m. can give up after a late game in November.

Can a tow truck get into a downtown garage?

Not always. Garages post a clearance height at the entrance, and tow trucks need more headroom than cars. These are the public garages the authority lists, with their posted heights:

Public garage	Address	Clearance
Century Center Garage	100 W Main, entrance on Sheridan	6'8"
Sheridan Walker Garage	501 W Sheridan	6'9"
Arts Garage	431 W Main	8'2"
Convention Center Garage	15 Mick Cornett Dr	8'2"

The Century Center and Convention Center garages are the ones listed for arena events. In any garage, public or private, tell dispatch the garage name, your level and the height on the sign. A jump start or a spare tire change needs far less room than a tow. If the car won't start at all, it needs a car tow. Your driver needs that height to plan the job.

Why is a Bricktown breakdown different from one on I-235?

I-235 forms one of Bricktown's edges and links downtown with I-44. A breakdown there is a highway problem. A breakdown inside Bricktown is a parking lot problem with a crowd around it.

• On I-235 or a ramp. Traffic is fast. Stay buckled in with your hazards on. Don't walk along the shoulder.
• In a Bricktown lot. Cars crawl, but people on foot are everywhere. Wait on the sidewalk or in a well-lit spot, not between parked cars.
• On a game night. The police use Police Service Technicians for traffic control at Thunder games and special events. If one asks you to move a stalled car, say it won't start and that help is on the way.
• Lost after the show? OKC Ambassadors work special events, downtown, Bricktown and the riverfront. They give information and help, though they aren't police. Ask one for your nearest cross street.

Locked out or flat tire after a night out?

You walk back from dinner and spot your keys on the seat. Don't fight a modern door with a coat hanger. A car lockout call gets you back in. Keep your ID handy.

A flat on the way out of a lot is a flat tire change, as long as you have a good spare. Your driver puts the spare on. Partners don't repair tires. If the spare is flat or missing, the car needs a tow to a tire shop.

Stuck at a street meter on a weekday? Downtown meters are enforced Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on some holidays. At the meter, a card buys up to two hours. The Flowbird app lets you pay from your phone while you wait. Saturday and Sunday fall outside those hours.

Can you leave the car overnight and come back for it?

Sometimes, but learn the rules for the spot first.

• Public garages and lots. They don't allow vehicle storage for more than 48 hours at a time.
• The Santa Fe East Lot. It's open to the public only from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Private lots. Oklahoma counts a tow from private property for unauthorized parking or abandonment as a nonconsensual tow. The owner can have your car hauled off.

Catch a wrecker hooking up your car in a private lot? Ask to see the operator's wrecker license. State rules (OAC 595:25-3-9) say the operator must show it to a member of the public who asks.

Car already gone? Sentinel doesn't do impounds or private-property tows. If police had it towed, the Service Oklahoma search can find it by VIN. Our OKC impound guide walks through getting it back. If it won't drive once it's released, a partner can tow it from the lot to your shop.

How does Sentinel help in Bricktown?

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. We don't own trucks or run a Bricktown office. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. Tell us where the car sits and what it's doing. We lock your price by text before dispatch, and we stay with you by text until help arrives. You get your driver's name, photo and truck, so you can track your truck from the sidewalk. Give us one number, and we text that person your location too. Read the Stay-With-You Promise, or see our Oklahoma City towing page for the rest of the metro.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Bricktown Breakdown Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: OKC Bricktown Urban Design District, OKC Police patrol divisions, OKC Streetcar motorist safety, OKC Streetcar schedule, Downtown on-street parking, Public garages and lots, Garage jump starts and escorts, DPS wrecker service FAQ, Service Oklahoma impounded vehicles, NOAA climate normals.