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Model T to (Finally) Replace Carriage Horses?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 9, 2009
Modified Feb 9, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 9, 2009
Modified Feb 9, 2009
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In an effort to please both environmentalists and animal rights activists, while still keeping the carriage horse drivers in business (albeit sans the horses), Councilman Daniel Garodnick is pitching eco-friendly replicas of vintage Model T Fords as a replacement of the horse drawn carriages (an idea that has been brought up in the past).
The NY Post reports that the proposal, which would be great for eco-tourism, may go before the City Council as soon as this Spring, and a rep for PETA "said the plan is to develop electric or hybrid cars, which would tour the same park course that horse-drawn buggies use now—and could even be driven by current carriage operators."
Meanwhile, Councilman Tony Avella still needs to get the carriage horses banned before a replacement is put into effect—and while Avella supports the car plan, spokeswoman for the Horse and Carriage Association, Carolyn Daly, does not. She calls the proposal "absurd" and notes that the drivers "have dedicated their lives to horses." When the Model T plan was brought up last year Daly declared, "No one wants to replace clip-clop, clip-clop with chitty chitty bang bang."
Tagged
car
carriage horses
eco tourism
model t
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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