One of New York’s longest-running tourist attractions may be headed for the end of the road after the city council voted to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. Horse-drawn carriages have been plying Central Park since the mid-19th century, and the vote Oct. 22 is a warning that a tradition that has generated years of rancour may be coming to an end.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani still must sign the bill into law. He has previously backed a ban but has highlighted worries about labour protections in the business. If passed into law, the ban would take effect in June 2028.
The lead-up is intended to help about 150 active carriage drivers find new jobs, municipal council speaker Julie Menin said reporters ahead of the decision. For over two decades, legislative conflicts have been raging over the survival of the cultural heritage that’s nearly as old as Central Park itself.
But critics argue the creatures suffer, pointing to disastrous collapses and risky escapes, while advocates highlight the jobs the industry supports and the traditions it maintains. The law also contains a clause to explore compensation for licensing holders, Menin added. It requires that owners of the almost 200 horses not be permitted to sell them for slaughter or to other horse-carriage enterprises.
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