N.Y.C. Council Speaker Backs 2028 Horse-Carriage Ban After 18-Year-Old Tourist's Death
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14
N.Y.C. Council Speaker Backs 2028 Horse-Carriage Ban After 18-Year-Old Tourist's Death
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 14
Summary
Julie Menin said she will support legislation to end horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 2028, a shift that sharply improves the bill’s chances before a City Council hearing Wednesday.
An 18-year-old tourist from India died last month after a horse bolted while the driver had stepped away to take a family photo; Menin called the incident preventable and a tipping point.
Safety concerns were reinforced by the recent death of a carriage horse that had eaten a toxic plant in the park, alongside what Menin described as repeated breakaway incidents that endangered riders, pedestrians and horses.
The bill has 21 sponsors and needs five more votes to pass; Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing owners and drivers, says the horses are well cared for and a ban would devastate workers.