New York City Council, Mayor Mamdani reach deal to ban horse carriages in Central Park within 2 years

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have reached a deal to phase out the Central Park horse carriage industry by June 2028.

Horse carriage owners are vowing to fight.

"The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City," Mamdani wrote on social media on Tuesday night. "Our administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe."

The divisive issue has rankled city leadership for decades. The industry has operated in New York City for 168 years. 

Tuesday, Menin said a revised version of the legislation, called Romanch's Law, will be passed next week. CBS News New York sources say that bill is coming to a vote on Oct. 22.

The law is named after Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old who died in a carriage horse accident in Central Park in June. Since then, his family has demanded legislation named for him be passed.

The bill will require the Mamdani administration to develop a plan to connect the drivers with new economic opportunities and to find new homes for the horses. 

 "The tragic and preventable death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan made clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable. 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," Menin said Tuesday. "Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on Romanch's Law to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves. Just as importantly, the legislation will require the Administration to develop a plan to connect hardworking New Yorkers employed in this industry with new economic opportunities. 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."  

"Romanch's Law will end horse carriage here in Central Park, and we finally got to a place that's a win-win. Not only making sure that these animals can retire and go to beautiful sanctuaries, but making sure that these workers are protected. We're going to have a plan to make sure that there's a transition," said City Council member Christopher Marte, the bill's sponsor.

"It's just an industry that New York can't really sustain anymore. We are too busy, too crazy of a city to have horses walking through the streets of New York. And I think it's just the time that we need to do this," City Council member Harvey Epstein said. Epstein is the head of the animal welfare caucus of the New York City Council. 

"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," a City Hall spokesperson said.

"I would hope that the City Council members have, you know, that they remember why they came to government, and that that was to help people, not hurt people," said Christina Hansen of Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents horse carriage drivers. "This bill will be devastating for carriage drivers and carriage owners. People will be evicted. People will lose their houses. They have mortgages and bills they need to pay. They have children." 

Hansen said the carriage industry intends to fight. They say the move is unconstitutional and they'll go to court if the bill passes. 

"I mean, we haven't fought this hard for our horses and our people for nothing. You know, you can't just destroy people's lives using government. It's just not supposed to be done," Hansen said. "We will not let the billionaires over at [New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets] win."

"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. It says the city should 'consider' financial compensation for carriage owners who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy city-issued medallions and build up their businesses," TWU International John Samuelsen said in a statement, in part.

Samuelsen called the situation "reprehensible" and "disgraceful political opportunism."

New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), an organization that has advocated for the legislation, said "this long-overdue ban on cruel and dangerous horse-drawn carriages will pass."

"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. Romanch's death was a heartbreaking loss that laid bare the devastating consequences of this deadly industry. We thank his family for turning their grief into a powerful call for change," Edita Birnkrant of NYCLASS said.

The move also has the support of the Central Park Conservancy.