NYC Council Votes 40-7 to End Horse Carriages by June 2028
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 22
NYC Council Votes 40-7 to End Horse Carriages by June 2028
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 22
Summary
New York City approved a phased ban on horse-drawn carriages, giving roughly 200 drivers until June 2028 before the industry must shut down.
Council leaders tied the measure to the June death of 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan and a longer record of horses dying or being injured on city streets.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed the bill after revisions added a workforce transition program, with counseling and job referrals including opportunities at the MTA and in tourism.
The Transport Workers Union said it will sue to block the ban, arguing the city is taking carriage licenses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars without guaranteed compensation.
The vote capped a fight that has stretched since at least 2007, with animal-rights groups finally overcoming industry and union resistance that had stalled earlier bans.