City Council to Vote Wednesday on Phasing Out Central Park Horse Carriage Industry

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced on Tuesday that the full Council will vote on Wednesday, October 22, on legislation to phase out Central Park's horse carriage industry by June 2028. The bill, Romanch's Law, is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist who died in June 2026 after being thrown from a horse carriage in Central Park. Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports the legislation and struck a deal with Menin; the bill requires the city to develop transition plans for workers and help re-home the horses. Animal welfare advocates and NYCLASS have championed the ban for years on safety and animal welfare grounds. The Transport Workers Union fiercely opposes it, with union president John Samuelsen saying the measure offers 'no real economic relief for the families who worked their whole lives in this industry.' Carriage operators have vowed legal action, calling the ban unconstitutional. The Central Park Conservancy also weighed in on Tuesday as the vote approached. The industry has been a part of the city's streetscape for over a century.