In Memory of Louisa Gag and Riley O’Neil
In the past three months, two colleagues in the NABSA community– Louisa Gag in Boston and Riley O’Neil in Chicago– were struck and killed while riding their bicycles in their respective cities. Both advocated and worked every day to make streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, and played important roles in shared micromobility and transportation in their communities and our professional network. We join with their co-workers, friends, family, and so many others in our profound mourning of these two tragic losses. We want to take a moment to commemorate each of them and their importance in our community.
Louisa Gag was an Active Transportation planner with the City of Boston. Many may remember her as a speaker at the last NABSA Conference and active participant in NABSA member events.
“Louisa was the best of us. She met conflict with empathy, saw opportunity in the face of challenge, and brought a commitment to excellence in all that she did. The joy and kindness we loved in her as our colleague was infused in her work to share the benefits and pure delight of biking. Boston’s Bluebikes system will forever be better because of Louisa. Our heartbreak from her loss compels us to work harder than ever for safer, more equitable streets,” Kim Foltz, Boston Bikes Director.
“Louisa’s work had a profound impact on NABSA and the transportation industry as a whole. I learned so much from her over the years. She was always generous with her time, willing to share her knowledge, offer guidance, and support others. She made a lasting impression on me and so many of my colleagues. Her kindness, leadership, and unwavering dedication to this work will be deeply missed,” Waffiyyah Murray, Indego Program Manager, City of Philadelphia and NABSA Board President.
Riley O’Neil was a Complete Streets Planner with the City of Chicago and team member of David Powe, NABSA board member, and Sean Wiedel, founding NABSA board member.
“Riley demonstrated day in and day out, that part of each of us that is arguably more important than the work we do. It’s about how we live our lives; it’s about our humanity and our humility. In addition to all of the important projects he worked on, Riley was all you could ask for in a team member, colleague and friend. Riley was smart, caring, funny, compassionate and committed to the City that he loved. He is sorely missed,” Sean Wiedel, Deputy Commissioner, City of Chicago.
“Riley believed that every person deserves to get home safely. He spent his career turning that belief into projects that will protect people for generations. His legacy isn’t just in the streets he helped redesign. It’s in the countless lives that will be safer because of his work. We should all aspire to leave our communities a little better than we found them. Riley did. His fingerprints are all over his hometown of Chicago.” David Powe, Assistant Commissioner, City of Chicago
The imperative to create safe streets for everyone fueled the advocacy and work of Louisa and Riley, and fuels so much of the work that we do in the NABSA community. It is particularly tragic to lose two of our own to the very thing they worked so hard to prevent. Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of Riley O’Neil and Louisa Gag. They are both deeply missed.