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NYC Council, Mayor Mamdani agree to end Central Park's carriage horse industry
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026
Modified Oct 13, 2026 at 9:04 p.m. ET
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Liam Quigley / Gothamist
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026
Modified Oct 13, 2026 at 9:04 p.m. ET
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The New York City Council and Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced they plan to ban carriage horses in Central Park.
Council Speaker Julie Menin said Tuesday her chamber would hold an Oct. 22 vote on legislation to draw down the industry in phases. Several hours later Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he shared Menin's goal.
"The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City," the mayor said in a statement, adding his "administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe."
For years, animal rights advocates have called for an end to the park’s once-iconic carriage horses. The issue was a decisive factor in former Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2013 mayoral campaign, but he left office with the industry in tact.
The ban gained momentum in June after a carriage horse collapsed and died. Weeks later, teen tourist Romanch Mahajan died after he fell from a runaway carriage horse in the park.
After Mahajan’s death, councilmembers renamed a proposed bill to ban the carriage horses after him and held a daylong hearing on the legislation.
“The tragic and preventable death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan made clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable,” Menin wrote in a statement. She also said the legislation aims to help carriage drivers who would be put out of work by the ban.
The powerful Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage horse drivers, has fiercely defended the industry.
“The legislation will require the administration to develop a plan to connect hardworking New Yorkers employed in this industry with new economic opportunities,” Menin said in her statement. “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.”
John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union, disagreed with Menin's statement, saying the measure didn't do enough to help carriage drivers.
"The bill offers no real economic relief for the families who worked their whole lives in this industry," Samuelsen wrote via a text message. "It is full of 'supposals,' without any guarantees."
Edita Birnkrant, executive director of the animal rights group NYCLASS, which has protested the carriage drivers in the park for years, called it a long-fought win. Like de Blasio, Eric Adams tried and failed to abolish the industry.
"We've had too many tragedies," said Birnkrant. "New Yorkers are done. They want this over. They want these horses off the streets and retired into sanctuaries."
The Central Park Conservancy also came out in support of a carriage horse ban for the first time last year.
The Council's move to ban the carriage horses comes as city officials are working to manage bicycle, e-bike and pedestrian traffic on the Central Park loop, where three people — including Mahajan — have died in crashes since June.
This story has been updated with new information.
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new york city
parks
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Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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