PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dr. Eric Rudesky, Cyclist and Accident Victim, on E-Bike Safety and Intro 606
5:32:03
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127 sec
Dr. Eric Rudesky, a lifelong New Yorker and avid cyclist, testified in support of Intro 606 based on his personal experience as a victim of a violent crash involving a motorized e-bike. He recounted a head-on collision with an e-bike rider in Brooklyn that left him injured and highlighted issues with accountability and safety.
- Described the incident in detail, emphasizing the speed and recklessness of the e-bike rider
- Pointed out that the e-bike rider fled the scene without taking responsibility
- Argued against the notion that delivery apps are solely responsible for incentivizing speeding, drawing from his own experience as a former delivery person
Eric Rudesky
5:32:03
Thank you, chair.
5:32:03
My name is doctor Eric Rudesky.
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I'm a lifelong New Yorker, a cyclist who usually does 700 to 800 miles a year on my bike, and I have been a victim of a violent crash involving a motorized ebike.
5:32:16
And that's why I support intro 606.
5:32:18
In May of 2022, I was hit by a motorized bicycle while I was riding my bike, a regular foot powered bicycle.
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This was in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Collier Street at Leonard Street.
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I had just picked up my bike from a local repair shop.
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Over $300 worth of work was done in preparation for a ride from Brooklyn to Albany.
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As I rode on Collier Street with the flow of traffic, I saw a man on a bike heading towards me in the opposite direction.
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I could tell right away that he was on a motorized bike by his speed and because he was not pedaling.
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As we both approached the intersection from opposite directions, this man briefly turned onto Leonard Street, the side street, and seemingly out of the way.
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Then just seconds later, for a reason I will never understand, he turned back onto Collier Street and hit me head on.
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I had no time to maneuver out of the way.
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On impact, I flew off of my bike and into the street.
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I hit the pavement hard and sustained cuts and road burn on my arms and legs.
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But luckily, I did not suffer any broken bones or other serious injuries.
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But that was dumb luck and I could have been killed.
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As I lay on the ground, I heard a woman screaming.
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She turned out to be a pedestrian who witnessed the collision and could not help but scream from the from the violence of the impact.
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She and another witness came to my aid.
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They made sure I was not seriously injured and asked if I needed an ambulance.
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Meanwhile, the man who hit me, also thrown from his bike, quickly got back on it and motored away as fast as he could.
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He was not interested in helping me or apologizing in claiming responsibility for his actions or in facing any possible repercussions from the law.
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Before I could even get up, he was gone.
5:33:50
I'm gonna go off script just for the last few seconds here, because several things have been said today about, the delivery system and how that incentivizes people to speed.
5:34:00
It's not the apps.
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I was a delivery boy, a pizza delivery boy in this city for 5 years.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
5:34:06
Thank you.
Eric Rudesky
5:34:07
The more you deliver Thank
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
5:34:08
you, doctor.
Eric Rudesky
5:34:09
The more you
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
5:34:10
make.
