NYC Deal Would Phase Out Horse-Drawn Carriages

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have agreed to support Romanch's Law, which would phase out New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry, a Central Park attraction for more than 150 years. The City Council is scheduled to vote on Oct. 22; if approved, carriage operations would end by June 1, 2028. The law is named for 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan, who died in June after a carriage crash. It would create a transition program for drivers and other workers, including job placement, training, counseling, and possible compensation, and would require horses to be rehomed humanely, barring their sale to slaughterhouses or other carriage companies. Carriage operators and workers have raised concerns about their livelihoods and investments. The Oct. 22 Council vote is the next step on whether the phase-out takes effect on that timeline.