NYC to ban Central Park horse carriages under deal between Mayor Mamdani, City Council Speaker Menin

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Oct 13, 2026

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NEW YORK — New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced Tuesday that she and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have agreed to a deal to abolish the embattled Central Park horse carriage industry starting in 2028, bringing an end to a longstanding city tradition that has come under increasing criticism in recent years.

“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 in a statement. “Next week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on (the bill to ban the industry) to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves.”

Menin said the administration agreed to develop a plan to employ horse carriage drivers as part of the deal, which was first reported by Politico.

The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Union officials could not be immediately reached.

Efforts to ban the industry have stretched for decades, as animal rights activists have long criticized the industry. But unions advocating for the hundreds of carriage drivers have strongly opposed any moves to do away with the industry — with the Transport Workers Union previously indicating it may sue to block a ban.

The death of Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old boy killed in Central Park after falling from a runaway carriage horse in June, changed the tide, though, giving calls to ban the industry more urgency.

Romanch’s Law, the bill to ban horse carriages from Central Park, is a reworked version of a bill formerly known as Ryder’s Law, named after a carriage horse that collapsed and died in 2022. It would immediately end the issuance of new medallions for carriage horses, and end the industry entirely in the summer of 2028.

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