New York City Council votes to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by 2028

The New York City Council voted Thursday to ban horse-drawn carriages by June 2028, ending a nearly 170-year-old tradition after the death of a teenager in Central Park and sparking threats of legal action from horse-drawn carriage drivers.

The council voted 40-7, with two abstentions, to approve Romanch’s Law, named for 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after being thrown from a fleeing car in Central Park.

The legislation would phase out the industry by June 1, 2028, while requiring Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to develop a transition program for more than 150 active car drivers and other workers.

The plan would include job training, career counseling and employment referrals, although financial compensation is not guaranteed.

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A horse-drawn carriage carries passengers on a loop through Central Park on October 14, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

President Donald Trump weighed in on the decision Thursday, criticizing the move to eliminate one of New York City’s longtime tourist attractions.

“The horse-drawn carriage in New York is a quintessential New York experience. So sad that, for political reasons, we will see it disappear!” he wrote about Truth Social.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents workers in the transportation industry, threatened to challenge the ban in federal court and seek a temporary restraining order. Union representatives accused city council president Julie Menin of failing to adequately consult with drivers whose livelihoods are at stake.

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Second-generation horse-drawn carriage driver Frank Riccobono speaks outside New York City Hall on October 21, 2026, ahead of a vote to ban the industry. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Opponents argued the city had failed to come up with a concrete financial plan for drivers and car owners. An attempt to delay the phase-out until January 2030 failed before the final vote.

Menin defended the legislation Thursday, saying the council had strengthened worker protections and was prepared for a legal battle.

“We have every confidence in the legislation. That’s why we took the time to work on the legislation over the summer,” she told a news conference.

“We have made changes to the law to strengthen worker protections. We are very confident in our ability to defend this law and we will defend it vigorously. I have already spoken to Steve Banks and our team about this, and we will defend this law vigorously.”

Animal rights group PETA also celebrated the vote, pledging $50,000 to help carriage horses retire as the industry winds down.

The Central Park Conservancy celebrated the decision, arguing that horse-drawn carriages pose growing safety risks in a park that sees about 40 million visits a year.

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“In the modern era, horse-drawn carriages pose a serious, even deadly, safety risk to park visitors, horse-drawn carriage drivers, and the horses themselves. Our hearts break for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who rode in a horse-drawn carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life,” the organization wrote in a press release.

The Conservancy said Mahajan’s death was the ninth transportation-related incident in just over a year.

The legislation also includes protections intended to prevent the sale of retired carriage horses for slaughter, while still allowing owners to keep their animals.

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The bill now heads to Mamdani, who has expressed support for ending the industry. If signed, it would end a decades-long political battle over one of New York City’s most recognizable tourist attractions.