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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Geoffrey Thomas, Resident of Brooklyn, on Universal Daylighting
4:29:18
·
130 sec
Geoffrey Thomas, a resident of Brooklyn, testified in support of Intro 1138 for universal daylighting. He argued that this measure is crucial for safety and visibility at intersections, pointing out that it's already state law everywhere else in New York except NYC.
- Thomas emphasized the importance of daylighting for all road users, especially vulnerable ones like children, people in wheelchairs, and cyclists.
- He shared a personal perspective as a cyclist, highlighting the danger of getting trapped under turning trucks due to lack of visibility and space at intersections.
- Thomas stressed that universal daylighting could be the difference between life and death in worst-case scenarios involving large vehicles and cyclists.
Geoffrey Thomas
4:29:18
Hi.
4:29:19
Sorry.
4:29:20
I just caught my unmute button.
4:29:22
My name is Jeffrey Thomas.
4:29:24
I'm resident of Brooklyn.
4:29:25
I support intro eleven thirty eight for universal daylighting, and I will all give you two quick reasons why because I know it's been a long hearing.
4:29:32
First, of course, this is already New York state law.
4:29:35
As the council knows, the city has an exception to this law, not just unfair.
4:29:38
Doesn't even make any sense.
4:29:39
Every intersection, every other city, town, village, estate, big, small, however they however many, how many few cars they have, houses designed in place for safety, for visibility, you can see what's going around the corner before you enter the intersection, whether you're driving, walking, biking, or whatever.
4:29:55
New York City, with its busier and more chaotic and more dangerous streets, does not do this.
4:30:00
You get on the LIR in, you know, Hempstead or somewhere and you will see bulb outs and no parking here to corner signs outside the Hempstead Station.
4:30:07
You get on the train, you walk out of Atlantic Terminal and you won't.
4:30:09
It doesn't make any sense.
4:30:11
And the other reason, a lot of people have already mentioned being able to see vehicles and have them see you, whether you're crossing the street as a child or a short person with a stroller with a wheelchair.
4:30:21
And I'd like to add something else from my experience riding a bike.
4:30:23
There's one thing that worries me riding a bike at the city more than anything else, which is getting trapped under a box truck or some other kind of tall turning vehicle.
4:30:31
I looked up the stats once, and an incredibly high number of bicyclist deaths were from exactly this.
4:30:36
Because if there's a box truck and it starts turning, and you're in the blind spot, you have nowhere to go.
4:30:41
You can't get ahead of the truck.
4:30:42
You can't move out of the way because there's a parked car to your side.
4:30:46
You can't jump off your bike and try to stay above the car, like, because it's a truck that's got a flat side.
4:30:52
There's only one place you can go, which is under the vehicle, and you get crushed and you die.
4:30:56
There's nothing you can do.
4:30:58
And I try so hard when I'm on my bike to either stay fully ahead or fully behind box trucks, but we're both moving.
4:31:03
That's not a strategy.
4:31:04
That's not something that's gonna keep me safe.
4:31:06
That's not something that's gonna keep everyone safe.
4:31:08
Universal daylighting means right where the trucks are gonna be turning, there is some room to physically get out of the way if you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
4:31:17
So this is a safety measure that's gonna be the difference between, in the worst case, someone losing their bike
UNKNOWN
4:31:22
Your time's expired.
Geoffrey Thomas
4:31:23
I'm sorry?
UNKNOWN
4:31:24
Your time's expired.
Geoffrey Thomas
4:31:26
Thank you so much.
4:31:27
I appreciate all the support from the council members.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
4:31:29
Thank you.