Two weeks after he suffered severe brain injuries in a crash at a spot he battled to make safer, Budnick is out of a semicoma and has vowed to continue fighting for bike safety, colleagues said yesterday.

"He's angry that this happened," said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, where Budnick has worked for the last four years. "He can't wait to get back to work. He is intent to redouble his efforts to make New York City streets safe."

Budnick was hurt March 29 when his bike hit a massive pothole on Sands St., east of Jay St., near the offramp to the Manhattan Bridge bike path. Budnick may have been cycling in the area to investigate allegedly dangerous biking conditions, said White, who added that the crash is still under investigation.

The police report indicates there was a car in the bike lane that Budnick was forced to swerve around. Budnick, who was wearing a helmet, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, and was in a semicoma in intensive care for more than a week.

White said Budnick gradually regained consciousness over last week, and by this weekend was able to talk and joke with visitors. He has no memory of the accident. "He's come light years since two weeks ago," said White. "He's lucid, he's inquisitive. He's asking questions about the status of his work."

Budnick's improvement comes after more than 100 cyclists rallied near the Manhattan Bridge path Monday, demanding that the city make access to that path and other East River paths safer for cyclists. Department of Transportation officials said creating safe bike routes is a priority. "In the last two years, DOT has made several improvements to the area, including renovating the bike paths on the Manhattan Bridge and creating several new bike lanes on the streets that the East River bridges exit into," officials said.