Council vote set for Oct. 22; ban would take effect June 2028
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has agreed to back a bill supported by Julie Menin, the speaker of the New York City council, that would make it illegal to operate horse-drawn carriages in the city beginning in June 2028, Politico reported on Tuesday. A person familiar with the mayor’s office confirmed a deal had been struck.
Mamdani wrote on X on Tuesday: “The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City. Our administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe.”
In a statement, Menin said horse-drawn carriages had “become a growing public safety liability.”
“We can honor our city’s traditions while recognizing when it’s time to move forward in the interest of public safety, protecting workers, and strengthening our city’s economic vitality,” Menin said.
A spokesperson for Menin said the city council speaker would bring up the legislation for a vote on October 22. The city council is expected to vote on the legislation next week.
Horse-drawn carriage rides are ubiquitous in Central Park, a popular tourist attraction that has faced widespread scrutiny. Animal rights activists have long expressed concern over the treatment of horses. Multiple horses have died since 2020, occasionally collapsing in the middle of carriage rides.
The push for a ban increased over the summer after an 18-year-old tourist, Romanch Mahajan, died after being thrown from a carriage. Mamdani had previously signaled he would support legislation banning horse-drawn carriages but expressed concerns about the bill as written because it contained insufficient worker protections for carriage drivers.
A copy of the bill, shared with The Guardian, includes language requiring the city to create a workforce transition program that provides carriage drivers with career counseling and referrals to other job opportunities in the private and public sector. The bill also requires the city to “consider” establishing a program to compensate carriage owners for the value of their businesses.
Though there has been broad support for a horse-drawn carriage ban, officials have struggled to push legislation forward because the Transport Workers Union, which advocates for carriage drivers, had raised concerns about the carriage drivers’ livelihoods.
John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, told Politico the bill gave “no meaningful economic relief for workers.”
“This is disgraceful political opportunism, and Zohran should not simply go along with it, particularly when immigrant families’ livelihoods are being destroyed,” Samuelsen said. “This entire situation is reprehensible.”
Sneha Choudhary, a city hall spokesperson, said in a statement, “We have been working closely with the city council, union partners, carriage drivers, animal welfare advocates, and community leaders to deliver a just transition that protects workers while ending horse-drawn carriages in Central Park once and for all.”
It is unclear whether Mamdani plans to sign the bill as is or if there will be further changes.
The legislation also requires the city to implement a program to assist drivers in getting rid of their horses humanely, prohibiting the horses from being sold or transported for slaughter or sold for horse-drawn carriage industries elsewhere.