Council votes 40-7 to end NYC horse carriages by June 2028
Romanch's Law now goes to Mayor Mamdani, who says he will sign it. Our records show how the bill moved in four months, and who argued against it along the way.
The City Council voted Thursday to phase out the horse-drawn carriage industry. The ban takes effect June 1, 2028. City & State reported the final vote as 40 in favor, 7 against and 2 abstentions. The bill, Int. 943-A, is called Romanch's Law. It is named for the 18-year-old visitor who died in June after a runaway carriage accident in Central Park.
Carriages have worked in Central Park for more than 160 years, CBS New York noted. Three mayors in a row tried to end the industry and failed. Visitors and park users will see the rides end. The ban also affects the drivers, the stable workers and the horses, and the law sets out a plan for each of them.
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What the law does
The Council's press release lists the main terms:
- No new carriage, horse or driver licenses can be issued on or after June 1, 2028. Existing licenses expire May 31, 2028.
- Carriage horses must be placed humanely. Selling them for slaughter or other inhumane purposes is banned.
- The city must publish an industry transition plan by April 1, 2027, with workforce support for drivers.
City & State reported that the law asks the administration to "consider" paying owners but doesn't require it. More than 150 operators are active today. The mayor's office told CBS New York that "the mayor will sign this bill."
What our records add
It moved quickly. Council Member Christopher Marte introduced the bill on June 11, before the accident later that month. The bill traces back to a 2022 draft known as Ryder's Law, and it was renamed after the teenager's death, the Associated Press reported. At that stated meeting, Marte talked about pairing a ban with help moving drivers into other work. The Committee on Health held its only full hearing on July 15. It ran more than nine hours, and our summary counts about 150 public witnesses. The committee amended and approved the bill on Thursday morning, and the full Council passed it that afternoon. From introduction to passage took 133 days.
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Support was wide before the vote. The bill had 31 listed sponsors on the matter record, plus the Manhattan Borough President. That is more than half the 51-member Council. Among the sponsors were Republicans Joann Ariola, Inna Vernikov and Frank Morano. City & State reported that Ariola and Vernikov voted no in the end.
An alternative never moved. On the same June day, Council Member James Gennaro introduced Int. 937. It would have regulated the carriages rather than banned them. It has eight sponsors and has had no hearing. It is still in committee. Morano spoke about the regulation bill at the June 11 meeting.
What members said at the hearing. At the July hearing, Gennaro pressed health officials on whether any carriage driver's license had ever been suspended or revoked. He also challenged the administration for offering no data or violations to justify ending the industry, and he later questioned whether horse sanctuaries could absorb the animals. Marte cited 128 documented carriage accidents over 34 years. Speaker Julie Menin committed to finding drivers good jobs in hospitality and tourism. Council Member Carl Wilson, whose district includes the Hell's Kitchen stables, said horse care matters to his own family. Council Member Phil Wong asked whether any drivers had found new jobs under a 2025 executive order from Mayor Adams.
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Who voted no. City & State lists seven no votes: Ariola, Vickie Paladino, Vernikov, David Carr, Simcha Felder, Gennaro and Land Use Chair Kevin Riley. Amanda Farías and Susan Zhuang abstained. The Clerk's roll call for Thursday hasn't reached our data yet. Once it does, each member's vote will show on their district page.
What's next
The bill now sits on the mayor's desk. Under the City Charter, a bill becomes law if the mayor neither signs nor vetoes it within 30 days.
A court fight is also likely. CBS New York reported that the Transport Workers Union is prepared to sue in federal court. Union lawyer Ben Kallos, a former Council member, pointed to a missing economic impact analysis. City & State reported that Local 100 argues owners should be paid and that moving the horses could amount to an illegal taking of property. Menin told the outlet she is "very confident" the law will hold up.
The next deadline in the law is the April 1, 2027 transition plan. We'll track it on the matter page.