HR23 - In memory of former Austin City Council member Chris Riley.

      H.R. No. 23       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, Residents of Austin lost a visionary civic leader   with the passing of former city council member Chris Riley on July   28, 2024, at the age of 60; and          WHEREAS, The son of Eva and Peter Riley, Chris Riley was born   in Austin in 1964; he worked as a congressional page in Washington,   D.C., as an Austin High School student; after receiving a   bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University, he   completed his law degree at The University of Texas at Austin; he   was employed by the Texas Supreme Court before entering private   practice; a dedicated urbanist, he made his home in downtown Austin   when the residential population was in decline, and in 1997 he   cofounded the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, which he   later served as president; preferring to commute by bike, he got rid   of his car, and he encouraged greater use of Wooldridge Square Park   by picking up trash and bringing a giant chess set to the park for   weekly games; he also led Bike Austin before facilitating its   merger with other groups to form Safe Streets Austin; and          WHEREAS, Mr. Riley served for seven years on the Planning   Commission and won election to the city council in 2009; during two   terms in office, he championed greater density to provide more   housing; he was instrumental in the city's adoption of its Bicycle   Master Plan and the National Association of City Transportation   Officials' street design standards, recognizing the need for better   infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists; moreover, his   passionate advocacy eventually led the city to embrace such   concepts as parking reform, accessory dwelling units, and mass   transit-adjacent density; continuing his mission in private life,   he earned a master's degree in urban placemaking and management   from the Pratt Institute in New York; and          WHEREAS, Chris Riley helped guide Austin's progress as a   vibrant, well-connected city, and his kindness, integrity, and   devotion to his community will remain a source of inspiration to all   who were privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Chris Riley and extend   sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Denise   Brady; to his parents, Eva and Peter Riley; to his siblings, Joan   Laves Reitblatt and her husband, David, Ken Riley, and Michael   Riley and his wife, Virginia; and to his many other relatives and   friends; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of   Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Chris   Riley.     Cole     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 23 was unanimously adopted by a rising   vote of the House on March 6, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House