NYC Leaders Agree to Ban Horse Carriages by June 2028
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have reached a deal to end the city's horse carriage industry. The City Council is expected to vote on the ban legislation next week, as reported on Oct. 14, 2026.
The proposal would make it illegal to operate horse-drawn carriages in New York City starting June 1, 2028. Mamdani agreed to back the bill, which Menin also supports. A spokesperson for Menin shared news of the deal exclusively with POLITICO on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Menin had announced on July 15, 2026 that she backed the bill to ban the carriages from June 2028. POLITICO The Guardian PIX11
On Oct. 13, 2026, Mamdani said the industry is coming to an end and that drivers, owners and horses would be protected. The bill sets out three linked steps. It directs the city to create a job-transition program, meaning career counseling and referrals to private and public sector jobs for drivers. It directs the city to consider paying owners for the value of their businesses. It requires humane placement for horses, meaning no sale or transport for slaughter and no sale for use in carriage industries elsewhere. The Guardian
City leaders have tried to end Central Park carriage rides since 2010. Earlier efforts were narrower. Bill Int 1425-2019 would bar horses from working when the air temperature reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Bill Int 0573-2022 would slow the industry by blocking new licenses for horse-drawn cabs, similar to capping permits. On Sept. 17, 2025, then-Mayor Eric Adams said he supported ending carriage use in Central Park. That same day, Executive Order 56, a direct order from the mayor, told the Police Department to prioritize enforcement against carriages operating outside approved areas.
Past efforts cited safety risks after several horses died in accidents and from exhaustion. Multiple carriage horses have died since 2020, in some cases collapsing during rides. The push for a ban intensified in summer 2026 after an 18-year-old tourist, identified as Mahajan, died after being thrown from a carriage in Central Park. Menin and the Health Chair called the death "horrific and heartbreaking." Opposition has focused on jobs. New York's transport union speaks for hundreds of drivers who earn a living taking tourists around the park in buggies. POLITICO The Guardian
The broader context here is that City Hall is now aligned. For more than a decade, proposals stalled between heat rules, license caps and full bans. A joint agreement between mayor and speaker changes the count in the Council. The discussion turns to details. Compensation is still only under consideration, job help means counseling and referrals rather than guaranteed placement, and horse protections aim to prevent transfers to other carriage markets. How it works will depend on license timelines, enforcement in and around Central Park, and whether support funds arrive before June 2028.
