City Council Votes 40-7 to Ban Central Park Horse Carriages
City Hall Pk Path, Tribeca, Manhattan
Published · Updated
Summary
- The City Council voted 40-7 on Oct. 22 to ban horse carriages in Central Park, passing Romanch's Law with a veto-proof majority.
- The bill is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer. It ends carriage licensing and operation in the park in June 2028, requires a worker transition plan by April 2027, and bars horses from slaughter or sale to other carriage industries. Mayor Mamdani has 30 days to act.
- Carriage drivers and TWU Local 100 oppose the ban and plan to sue.
Timeline
The vote ends a nearly two-decade fight over the 168-year-old industry. Speaker Julie Menin called Mahajan's death "one death too many." A win for the horses, or a loss for 200 jobs? Tell us where you land.
The bill now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. The vote was veto-proof. Carriage drivers and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents them, opposed the bill and say they will challenge it in court.
The ban takes effect in June 2028. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, also requires the city to build a worker transition program for roughly 200 drivers and owners by April 2027, and bars the horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or to other cities' carriage industries.
The City Council voted 40-7 on Thursday to ban horse carriage licensing and operation in Central Park. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer, according to the Council.
Incident reported at City Hall Pk Path.
The vote ends a nearly two-decade fight over the 168-year-old industry. Speaker Julie Menin called Mahajan's death "one death too many." A win for the horses, or a loss for 200 jobs? Tell us where you land.
The bill now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. The vote was veto-proof. Carriage drivers and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents them, opposed the bill and say they will challenge it in court.
The ban takes effect in June 2028. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, also requires the city to build a worker transition program for roughly 200 drivers and owners by April 2027, and bars the horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or to other cities' carriage industries.
The City Council voted 40-7 on Thursday to ban horse carriage licensing and operation in Central Park. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer, according to the Council.
Incident reported at City Hall Pk Path.
The vote ends a nearly two-decade fight over the 168-year-old industry. Speaker Julie Menin called Mahajan's death "one death too many." A win for the horses, or a loss for 200 jobs? Tell us where you land.
The bill now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. The vote was veto-proof. Carriage drivers and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents them, opposed the bill and say they will challenge it in court.
The ban takes effect in June 2028. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, also requires the city to build a worker transition program for roughly 200 drivers and owners by April 2027, and bars the horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or to other cities' carriage industries.
The City Council voted 40-7 on Thursday to ban horse carriage licensing and operation in Central Park. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer, according to the Council.
Incident reported at City Hall Pk Path.
The vote ends a nearly two-decade fight over the 168-year-old industry. Speaker Julie Menin called Mahajan's death "one death too many." A win for the horses, or a loss for 200 jobs? Tell us where you land.
The bill now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. The vote was veto-proof. Carriage drivers and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents them, opposed the bill and say they will challenge it in court.
The ban takes effect in June 2028. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, also requires the city to build a worker transition program for roughly 200 drivers and owners by April 2027, and bars the horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or to other cities' carriage industries.
The City Council voted 40-7 on Thursday to ban horse carriage licensing and operation in Central Park. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer, according to the Council.
Incident reported at City Hall Pk Path.
The vote ends a nearly two-decade fight over the 168-year-old industry. Speaker Julie Menin called Mahajan's death "one death too many." A win for the horses, or a loss for 200 jobs? Tell us where you land.
The bill now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who has 30 days to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. The vote was veto-proof. Carriage drivers and Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents them, opposed the bill and say they will challenge it in court.
The ban takes effect in June 2028. The bill, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte, also requires the city to build a worker transition program for roughly 200 drivers and owners by April 2027, and bars the horses from being sold to slaughterhouses or to other cities' carriage industries.
The City Council voted 40-7 on Thursday to ban horse carriage licensing and operation in Central Park. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist from India who died after being thrown from a carriage this summer, according to the Council.
Incident reported at City Hall Pk Path.
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this shouldve been done AGES AGO
@Stassieondablock mayor Adams was in favor. It was speaker Adrienne Adams that killed the proposal.
I just want to understand WHY these poor horses have to wait until 2028!!
@EyesOnTheSts They need time to find them new homes. The wait sucks, but it just means these beauties aren’t getting slaughtered instead.
“This will leave the people without a job” , they can get the thousands of other jobs just like anyone else in the city.
@azzieu exactly. Unfortunately nobody is retraining me in tech.
Finally! No more horses should suffer for tourism.
@katiekinssolo Amen
this shouldve been done AGES AGO
@Stassieondablock mayor Adams was in favor. It was speaker Adrienne Adams that killed the proposal.
I just want to understand WHY these poor horses have to wait until 2028!!
@EyesOnTheSts They need time to find them new homes. The wait sucks, but it just means these beauties aren’t getting slaughtered instead.
“This will leave the people without a job” , they can get the thousands of other jobs just like anyone else in the city.
@azzieu exactly. Unfortunately nobody is retraining me in tech.
Finally! No more horses should suffer for tourism.
@katiekinssolo Amen
this shouldve been done AGES AGO
@Stassieondablock mayor Adams was in favor. It was speaker Adrienne Adams that killed the proposal.
I just want to understand WHY these poor horses have to wait until 2028!!
@EyesOnTheSts They need time to find them new homes. The wait sucks, but it just means these beauties aren’t getting slaughtered instead.
“This will leave the people without a job” , they can get the thousands of other jobs just like anyone else in the city.
@azzieu exactly. Unfortunately nobody is retraining me in tech.
Finally! No more horses should suffer for tourism.
@katiekinssolo Amen
this shouldve been done AGES AGO
@Stassieondablock mayor Adams was in favor. It was speaker Adrienne Adams that killed the proposal.
I just want to understand WHY these poor horses have to wait until 2028!!
@EyesOnTheSts They need time to find them new homes. The wait sucks, but it just means these beauties aren’t getting slaughtered instead.
“This will leave the people without a job” , they can get the thousands of other jobs just like anyone else in the city.
@azzieu exactly. Unfortunately nobody is retraining me in tech.
Finally! No more horses should suffer for tourism.
@katiekinssolo Amen
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this shouldve been done AGES AGO
@Stassieondablock mayor Adams was in favor. It was speaker Adrienne Adams that killed the proposal.
I just want to understand WHY these poor horses have to wait until 2028!!
@EyesOnTheSts They need time to find them new homes. The wait sucks, but it just means these beauties aren’t getting slaughtered instead.
“This will leave the people without a job” , they can get the thousands of other jobs just like anyone else in the city.
@azzieu exactly. Unfortunately nobody is retraining me in tech.
Finally! No more horses should suffer for tourism.
@katiekinssolo Amen