The New York City Council has voted in favor of legislation that would shut down New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry after more than 160 years in business.
The measure then moved to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who struck a deal with Council leadership to support it over the objections of Transportation Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage horse drivers and ensures their horses are well cared for and safe.
Romanch’s law — named after a teenage tourist who died this summer after being thrown from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in Central Park — would phase out these rides by June 2028. It passed the Council on Thursday 40-7, with two abstentions.
The bill would also require future chapters regarding horses to be humane, prohibiting owners from selling or transferring them for slaughter or use in other horse transportation activities.
And it would require the mayor to establish a transition plan for industry workers by April of next year, including providing career counseling, public service training and referrals to other job opportunities, Council Speaker Julie Menin said at a news conference Thursday, hours before the vote.
“It even allows horse owners to keep their horses if they want to,” Menin said. “This will support the transition of the more than 150 active carriage drivers, as we want to make sure they are protected. We will help them find new employment over the next two years.”
The bill received overwhelming support, with 29 co-sponsors out of the 51 Council members. Menen announced that the bill was to be voted on earlier this month, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani agreed to sign the bill.
Animal rights advocates have called for years for the city to ban carriage horses, with calls renewed every time a carriage horse collapses in a Manhattan park or street. The issue was at the heart of Bill de Blasio’s 2013 mayoral campaign, after he promised to shut down the industry in the first week of his term but failed to do so during his eight-year term.
In June, the movement gained momentum again after a frightened carriage horse ran away from its driver, crashing into another carriage and killing 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan.
“When Romanch Mahajan was taken from his family, from our city, from the world, it was a turning point. And Romanch’s death was one death too many, and the law we are going to pass in his name will prevent the next one,” Menin said at a news conference before Thursday’s vote.
The city’s horse-drawn carriage drivers have long argued that reforms would be preferable to eliminating their industry altogether. After the proposed law was announced, drivers told Gothamist they felt betrayed and were being unfairly forced out of business.
The issue has divided New Yorkers for years and even caught the attention of President Donald Trump, a Queens native.
“So sad to see Central Park’s beloved horse-drawn carriage industry come to an end after more than a century, largely due to a tragic accident,” the president said on Truth Social on Thursday. “When there is a car accident in the area, and there are many, they don’t stop cars from entering the park. So why would they stop the cars? It was a great tradition. Another piece of history that is gone. We will miss it!”
This story has been updated with more information, including a statement from the Council President and the results of the Council vote.
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