Red Line Parkway Fundraising Dinner with Tom Wald, Chris' wife Denise Brady, and Chris Riley (l to r), June 22nd
Local legend and friend Chris Riley died last Sunday of cancer. He was a Red Line Parkway Initiative founding board member, Austin City Council Member, and champion of creating a more bikeable and walkable Austin. He touched many of our lives, whether through his contributions to Austin or as a friend or colleague. He and I began working closely together when he started on Austin City Council in 2009, and I was Executive Director of League of Bicycling Voters (later known as Bike Austin).
Chris Riley (center) and Tom Wald (left), biking through the ribbon at the Red Line Trail Ribbon Cutting, Highland Station, August 2nd, 2013
He long championed the completion of the Red Line Trail and Parkway. As a CapMetro Board Member, he renewed the effort to complete the Red Line Trail through a 2012 board resolution. He and I first sat down in November 2016 at Texas Chili Parlor to organize an effort (eventually becoming the Red Line Parkway Initiative) to finally complete the Red Line Trail that had been pitched to CapMetro voters in 2004 as a rail-with-trail package. He was an essential part of the Red Line Parkway Initiative board through 2020, from putting “initiative” into our name, to helping shape our initial pitch, to opening doors for early connections to decision-makers and other community leaders.
Red Line Parkway Initiative leadership retreat with Sophia Benner, Eric Goff, Leah Bojo, Jacob Villanueva, Katie Deolloz, and Chris Riley, August 2017
Touring the Red Line corridor with then Red Line Parkway Board Members Tom Wald, Sophia Benner, Chris Riley, and Katie Deolloz, September 2017
Touring the Red Line corridor with former CapMetro CEO Randy Clarke, former CapMetro VP of Planning Todd Hemingson, Chris Riley, and Tom Wald, March 2019
Chris speaking to attendees at the Red Line Parkway Fundraising Dinner, June 22nd
Chris joined us for our June 22nd Fundraising Dinner and shared with the group what he already had told me when I had invited him a couple weeks prior: He only expected two more months of life, and wanted to celebrate the opportunity to share some final times with those in his life, and help support efforts to make Austin more bikeable and walkable that would continue on after he was gone. He spoke on the Frederick Law Olmsted 19th century concept of parkways–green space travelways that connect between larger urban parks. Chris’ vision is to complete the Red Line Parkway and create other parkways across the city that create opportunities for calm within the bustling city and for fellow residents to see and meet each other face-to-face in public in their day-to-day lives.
Chris serenaded by friends and family at his 60th birthday party, July 12th
I’ve learned from working with Chris for the last 15+ years that the biggest obstacles to transforming our city for the better are often not the practical limitations, but rather that we too often neglect to even introduce an optimistic vision into our public plans or we allow cynicism or complacency get in the way of others doing the work. It is thanks in large part to Chris’ dogged voice for a more bikeable and walkable city that it has become practical for so many more people to enjoy our city by bike or by walking.
And over those 15+ years, Chris and I grew to be good friends and would regularly share new ideas and work on new projects. I and many others will deeply miss Chris.
Chris riding the Red Line Parkway and Boggy Creek Trail
A funeral service for Chris will be held at First United Methodist Church, 1201 Lavaca St. in Downtown Austin tomorrow, Saturday, August 3rd at 10am.
Tom Wald
Executive Director
Red Line Parkway Initiative
