New York City Set to Ban Central Park Horse-Drawn Carriages by June 2028

New York City is poised to end its iconic Central Park horse-drawn carriage industry following an agreement between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin on landmark legislation.

The proposed bill, titled "Romanch's Law," sets a phaseout date of June 1st, 2028, for the century-old tourist attraction. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the measure on October 22nd, where it currently holds 29 co-sponsors and is expected to pass with a clear majority.

Momentum behind the ban has accelerated following the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan, who died after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park in June, in the first recorded fatality in the industry's 150-year history. 

Addressing the upcoming vote, Speaker Menin stated:

"Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City's history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability."

"Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on [this bill] to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves.”

The legislation includes an "industry transition framework" requiring city administration to finalize a workforce assistance plan by April 1st, 2027. Designated city agencies will coordinate career counseling, training, and potential job placement for affected drivers and stable staff across municipal entities, including the MTA, NYC Transit, the Port Authority, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

To ensure animal welfare, the law requires carriage owners to notify the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare prior to retiring horses and explicitly prohibits selling or transferring the animals for slaughter or reuse in commercial carriage operations.

Mayor Mamdani publicly confirmed his support for the phaseout on social media, writing:

"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."

City Hall spokesperson Sneha Choudhary added 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."

The legislation has drawn severe criticism from the Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents roughly 300 carriage drivers and owners. Union leaders argue that the transition plan lacks guaranteed financial compensation for workers losing their livelihoods.

TWU International President John Samuelsen pushed back against the bill, stating:

"Council Speaker Menin's bill has no meaningful economic relief for workers. It only says the city should prepare a worker transition plan by April 2027 and include weak measures like job fairs and job counseling."

"Council Speaker Menin used the tragic death of a tourist to contrive a public safety crisis. This is disgraceful political opportunism, and Zohran should not simply go along with it, particularly when immigrant families' livelihoods are being destroyed. This entire situation is reprehensible."

On the other hand, animal rights organizations and park management welcomed the agreement. Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS, said:

“This moment belongs to the advocates and supporters who have spent years fighting with NYCLASS to protect horses and people on our city’s streets.”

Betsy Smith, President and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, also voiced support for the measure:

"We applaud the City Council for finally taking on this issue. For the Central Park Conservancy, this has always been a matter of public safety. We hope carriages can be phased out efficiently and humanely so that no one else ever suffers the fate of Romanch Mahajan."

If approved next week, the bill will conclude decades of debate surrounding urban carriage operations, initiating a five-year transition period before the final ban takes full effect in mid-2028.