New York’s City Council has voted to end the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry following a full Council meeting today where legislation was approved 40 to 7 (with 2 abstentions).
News of the council bill first came last week when Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin reached an agreement to phase out the horse-drawn carriage industry across the city, marking a major milestone in a decades-long campaign by animal rights advocates.
The legislation, known as Romanch’s Law, will force the wind down of carriage operations by June 2028.
The development follows years of unsuccessful efforts to end the industry, which has operated in New York City for more than 150 years. Calls for a ban intensified this summer after a carriage horse collapsed and died while working, followed weeks later by the death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan. Mahajan was riding with his family in Central Park when a horse bolted, throwing him from the carriage.
Following Mahajan’s death, lawmakers renamed the proposed legislation in his honor. The incident also prompted renewed scrutiny of the risks horses face working amid city traffic, crowds, construction, and other unpredictable conditions.
Mamdani previously expressed support for ending carriage rides in Central Park while raising concerns about protections for workers who depend on the industry. Earlier this month, he reiterated his commitment to a transition that accounts for both animal welfare and workers’ livelihoods.
“My administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe,” he wrote on social media.
How would New York City’s horse carriage ban work?
Under the legislation, the city will develop a workforce program to help carriage drivers and other industry employees find new employment opportunities. The legislation also includes provisions intended to ensure the horses’ humane placement, including protections against their sale for slaughter or transfer to other carriage businesses.
However, the transition plan has drawn criticism from the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers. Union president John Samuelsen has argued that the legislation lacks guaranteed financial relief for families whose livelihoods depend on the trade.
Animal-rights advocates, meanwhile, have spent decades pushing to retire the horses from city streets and move them to sanctuaries.
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