NYC Horse Carriage Ban Ends Central Park Tradition

The horse carriage ban is now official in spirit, if not yet in ink: New York City's lawmakers voted to end Central Park's carriage rides, closing a chapter that started before the Civil War. The City Council passed the measure on Thursday, and the clip-clop tradition of tourists, tiny blankets and hot cocoa is set to disappear by June 2028.

What the Council Actually Voted For

The legislation is called Romanch's Law, and, according to the New York City Council's own announcement, it phases out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park by June 1, 2028. Bloomberg reported that the vote was forty to seven, with two members abstaining. The bill now heads to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose office says he will sign it.

The timeline matters. The horse carriage ban does not flip a switch tomorrow morning. Carriages keep rolling for roughly another year and a half, and the law demands that City Hall deliver a transition plan for workers and owners well before the final deadline. It also calls for the humane placement of the animals, according to CBS News New York.

The Death That Changed the Math

Activists have pushed to end the rides for years, but the latest campaign gained force after a tragedy in June. Romanch Mahajan, an eighteen-year-old tourist from India, died after jumping from a runaway carriage during a ride, according to the Associated Press. His death appeared to be the first fatality involving a horse carriage in Central Park since the rides began.

The law carries his name. His uncle, Gaurav Mahajan, told a rally that the hour of justice had finally arrived. The family's attorney said the goal is making sure the teenager's death was not in vain, and that no one else is hurt by the carriages.

Nineteen Years of Failed Attempts

This horse carriage ban is the end of a very long fight. Council Speaker Julie Menin said the first bill to ban the industry was introduced nineteen years ago. Two mayors before Mamdani tried and failed. Bill de Blasio promised to end the rides on his first day in office, but the effort collapsed under union pressure and a media blitz that featured actor Liam Neeson. Eric Adams floated a ban late in his term, and the idea went nowhere.

What changed this time? A fatal accident gave the cause a human face, and Menin became the first sitting Council Speaker to back a ban. Supporters also argue that the park has changed. Central Park draws tens of millions of visits every year from runners, cyclists, dog walkers and tourists, and the Central Park Conservancy says carriages now pose a serious and even fatal safety risk to visitors, drivers and the horses themselves.

The Drivers Who Say Nobody Is Listening

For the more than one hundred fifty drivers still working, the vote feels like a threat to their livelihoods. The law orders the mayor's office to develop a plan by next April, which must include job referrals, career counseling and educational opportunities. It also lets the administration consider some form of compensation. Critics note that the language is vague and sets no clear benchmarks for displaced workers, according to the Associated Press.

Some owners are furious. One owner told CBS News New York that he had invested four hundred thousand dollars two years ago to expand his father's dream. The Transport Workers Union says it is ready to challenge the ban in federal court, arguing that the city skipped a required economic impact analysis. Menin, for her part, has said, "These workers deserve to be protected."

The union has promised a legal fight the minute the mayor signs, so the horse carriage ban could end up in front of a judge before the first horse is retired.

Why Everyone Has an Opinion

President Donald Trump, whose Trump Tower sits a short walk from the park, criticized the vote on social media. He called the rides a quintessential New York experience and wrote, "It was a Great Tradition. Another piece of History that's gone. It will be missed!" Meanwhile, plenty of New Yorkers and visitors welcomed the change, according to the BBC.

The rides are also pricey. Euronews reported that a forty-five-minute trip can cost about one hundred fifty dollars, and it has starred in everything from Barefoot in the Park to Sex and the City. For a generation raised on city-based rom-coms, the loss feels symbolic. For animal welfare groups, it feels overdue.

What Happens Next

Expect three things. First, a signature from Mamdani. Second, a lawsuit from the union. Third, a loud debate about what replaces the carriages, whether that means electric shuttles, pedicabs or simply more peace and quiet on the park drives. For more stories shaping city life and politics, browse the politics section on GenZ NewZ.

However it ends, this horse carriage ban marks a rare moment where a decades-old city tradition lost to a modern argument about safety and animal welfare. Whether you see it as progress or the loss of a postcard New York scene, the clock on the last carriage ride is officially ticking.