Full Breakdown
NYC Council Advances Ban on Central Park Horse-Drawn Carriages
7/15/2026, 7:00:35 AM
Legislative Push to End Carriage Horses
On July 15, 2026 the New York City Council’s Health Committee will hold a hearing on “Romanch’s Law,” legislation that would cease issuing new two-year licenses for the city’s 68 horse-drawn carriages and prohibit their operation in Central Park by June 2028. The bill, introduced by Council Member Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan), gained a decisive boost after Council Speaker Julie Menin announced her support on July 14, 2026. The measure also directs the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to create a workforce-development program for the roughly 150 drivers who would be displaced.
Background and Recent Incidents
The industry, in place for more than 150 years, has faced a series of safety failures. In August 2022 a carriage horse named Ryder collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen and later died, prompting the earlier name “Ryder’s Law.” The most recent catalyst was the June 17, 2026 death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, an Indian tourist who was thrown from a carriage after the horse bolted; Mahajan’s head injury proved fatal. That incident marked the first recorded human fatality in the carriage-horse trade and was the eighth serious accident in two years, prompting renewed calls for reform.
Key Stakeholders
- Julie Menin – Council Speaker (D-Manhattan), now backing the ban.
- Christopher Marte – Council member who authored the bill.
- Zohran Mamdani – Mayor, supportive of the bill’s “spirit” but demanding stronger worker protections.
- Transport Workers Union Local 100 – Represents carriage owners and drivers; its administrative vice-president Alexander Kemp leads opposition.
- Christina Hansen – TWU Local 100 representative, emphasizing the medallion-based small-business model.
- David Saltonstall – Vice president of the Central Park Conservancy, advocating for job-placement assistance for drivers.
Bill Provisions and Timeline
- License Freeze: No renewal of the 2-year carriage-horse licenses, effectively capping the fleet at the current 68 medallions.
- Phase-Out Deadline: All carriage operations in Central Park must cease by June 2028.
- Workforce Development: The city will fund retraining programs aimed at hospitality and tourism jobs for displaced drivers.
- Safety Measures: The legislation includes provisions for enhanced driver training and stricter inspections, though critics argue they are insufficient.
Why It Matters
Proponents argue the ban would eliminate a public-safety hazard, protect horses from abuse, and modernize tourism offerings. Opponents warn that eliminating the industry could financially devastate drivers, threaten the welfare of the horses, and erase a historic New York tradition.
Official Statements & Responses
Speaker Menin framed the tragedy as “preventable” and said the legislation serves “the safety of New Yorkers, visitors from around the world, and the horses themselves.” Mayor Mamdani expressed support for the bill’s intent but stressed that “worker protections in that transition are critical.” Councilmember Marte emphasized the need for a “workforce development concept” within the bill. The Central Park Conservancy’s Saltonstall highlighted the city’s responsibility to find “200 openings” that match drivers’ skills. TWU Local 100’s Hansen warned that the industry’s medallion system “has been capped at 68 since the end of WWII” and that drivers have invested heavily in their livelihoods.
Criticism and Opposition
Alexander Kemp of TWU Local 100 called the bill an “extreme outlier” used by “animal-rights fundamentalists” to achieve a decades-long goal. He urged the council to consider an alternative proposal by Councilmember James Gennaro, which would retain the industry while adding safety studies, driver-training upgrades, and park-wide hitching posts. Kemp argued that the proposed workforce-development program “would do nothing to put food on the tables of drivers and their families.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “The death of a tourist really was the tipping point for me,” — Julie Menin, Council Speaker
- “And I'm actively working on a plan to guarantee them quality working opportunities in the hospitality industry,” — Julie Menin, video statement
- “I introduced this bill two months ago, and I made this version particularly to include a workforce development concept into this bill,” — Christopher Marte, Council member
- “We support the spirit of the bill. We are, however, critical of the insufficiencies of the worker protections and we look forward to working with the Council to address those concerns, as we move forward on an important issue for New Yorkers,” — Zohran Mamdani, Mayor
- “Instead of rushing to discard workers’ livelihoods and an age-old New York tradition, I urge the City Council to pause efforts to ban this industry, which would cause so much collateral damage.” — Alexander Kemp, TWU Local 100 administrative vice-president
