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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Austin lost a visionary civic leader |
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with the passing of former city council member Chris Riley on July |
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28, 2024, at the age of 60; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Eva and Peter Riley, Chris Riley was born |
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in Austin in 1964; he worked as a congressional page in Washington, |
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D.C., as an Austin High School student; after receiving a |
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bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University, he |
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completed his law degree at The University of Texas at Austin; he |
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was employed by the Texas Supreme Court before entering private |
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practice; a dedicated urbanist, he made his home in downtown Austin |
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when the residential population was in decline, and in 1997 he |
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cofounded the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, which he |
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later served as president; preferring to commute by bike, he got rid |
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of his car, and he encouraged greater use of Wooldridge Square Park |
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by picking up trash and bringing a giant chess set to the park for |
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weekly games; he also led Bike Austin before facilitating its |
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merger with other groups to form Safe Streets Austin; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Riley served for seven years on the Planning |
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Commission and won election to the city council in 2009; during two |
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terms in office, he championed greater density to provide more |
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housing; he was instrumental in the city's adoption of its Bicycle |
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Master Plan and the National Association of City Transportation |
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Officials' street design standards, recognizing the need for better |
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infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists; moreover, his |
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passionate advocacy eventually led the city to embrace such |
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concepts as parking reform, accessory dwelling units, and mass |
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transit-adjacent density; continuing his mission in private life, |
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he earned a master's degree in urban placemaking and management |
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from the Pratt Institute in New York; and |
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WHEREAS, Chris Riley helped guide Austin's progress as a |
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vibrant, well-connected city, and his kindness, integrity, and |
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devotion to his community will remain a source of inspiration to all |
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who were privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Chris Riley and extend |
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sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Denise |
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Brady; to his parents, Eva and Peter Riley; to his siblings, Joan |
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Laves Reitblatt and her husband, David, Ken Riley, and Michael |
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Riley and his wife, Virginia; and to his many other relatives and |
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friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Chris |
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Riley. |