Rush Hour at Town Lake

The term rush hour usually has a negative connotation; angry, frustrated people confined to a few miles of roadway; everyone in a hurry to get to the next destination. There is a different kind of rush hour though, one where people are perhaps still confined but at the same time free to do what they want.

The trails at Town Lake suggest a different kind of rush hour come five o’clock. The paths that line the shores of the probably frigid water offer motivated Austinites a chance to escape the automotive traffic jams of the city and join in the daily rush hour of a more natural setting while still being within sight and sound of the city in which they live. Keeping to the prescribed trails, one can walk, jog, bike or meander aimlessly through this natural oasis in downtown Austin.

My current vantage point at a pavilion somewhat removed from the interchange allows me to watch the slow traffic of the many walkers, joggers and bikers struggle up the hill from the Barton Creek Trail and cross paths with the fast pace of those descending the hill from the Town Lake Trail. Just turning my head slightly to the left allows me to view the more typical rush hour and the same intersection of traffic; a faster flow going north into the city and the slower flow of those coming out, free from the daily grind of their jobs, wishing perhaps, to find the same kind of removal from the urban setting that is so present here.

The landscape of the trails isn’t that different from the architecture of the city. The trails draw people in, offering the out of shape or the excessive health nut a chance to fulfill the need for exercise. For others, the trails offer a reprieve from the city, a place to go to reflect. The city is the same, in a way; the tall building draw people in, offering a promise of a different betterment, financial or career betterment. At the same time, it can also be an escape for the visitor, a change of scenery or the promise of adventure.

Just as the rush hour across the lake is winding down and the speed of the traffic is becoming faster as the roads unclog, the rush hour in front of me is diminishing as well. The stream of motion as well as the daylight has dwindled. My fingers are almost frozen as I'm typing, a sign for me to leave. As the trails empty, the promise of tomorrow hangs in the air; tomorrow being a chance for the people of Austin to continue in their fitness pursuits.