Politics · Carriage phaseoutCentral Park carriage ban: Council votes 40–7 for June 2028 phaseoutAired October 26, 2026 at 7:11 PM UTCWritten October 26, 2026 at 7:14 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07A runaway carriage killed an eighteen-year old tourist in Central Park.0:11Now the city council has voted to end horse drawn carriage operations, setting a0:15June first,2028 deadline.0:17The transition reaches industry workers and about one hundred and eighty horses.0:21Workers still need to know what will replace their incomes and who will provide0:25lasting homes for the horses.0:26Forty council members supported the measure on October22,2026 ,7 opposed it and two0:31abstained.0:32That vote approved a phased end to the industry, giving the city time to prepare for0:36the final rides.0:37The measure is called Romanx Law.0:39It would prohibit horse, drawn cabs, and require an industry transition plan.0:43Its reach extends across New York City, including the carriage rides associated with0:47Central Park.0:48Councilmember Christopher Marte sponsored the bill, and Council Speaker Julie Menon0:51backed it.0:52Mayor Zoran Mamdani supported the negotiated phase out and was expected to sign.0:56His approval is the immediate next step.0:58As of October twenty-sixth, a completed mayoral signature hasn't been confirmed.1:03The council has passed the bill, but the mayoral step is still pending.1:06June first,2028 , is the planned phase-out date.1:09Romanksh Mahajan was18 and visiting from India when the runaway carriage incident1:14took his life on June17,2026 .1:17His death gave fresh urgency to a campaign that had already joined concerns about1:21passenger safety with objections to the treatment of working horses.1:24It's still unclear whether Mahajan was thrown from the carriage or jumped while1:27trying to help his mother after she fell.1:29The runaway incident and his death drove demands to end the rides.1:33Supporters argue that horse-drawn carriages expose animals, passengers, and the1:37public to unacceptable risks.1:39Opponents say the phase-out would erase a long-standing New York tradition and take1:43away livelihoods.1:44For drivers and other workers, losing the rides means losing the work attached to1:48them.1:49The city plans to help find homes for about one hundred and eighty retiring horses.1:53That puts long-term care at the center of the phase-out.1:56The task is to arrange places where those horses can live after their working lives2:00end.2:01The city also plans to help drivers and other industry workers find employment.2:04Workers still need details about dependable replacement work and financial support.2:08The transition commitments don't yet tell them how much income assistance they can2:11count on or which jobs will be available.2:14A carriage horse named Ryder collapsed in August2022.2:17He was euthanized several months later because of his poor medical condition.2:21The phase-out campaign previously used the name Ryder's Law before the measure2:24became Romanchel's Law.2:25Ryder's collapse also led to criminal charges.2:28On November15,2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused driver Ian2:34McKeever, then fifty-five of abusing the horse to the point of collapse, despite2:38significant health problems.2:40Prosecutors said Ryder had worked on an eighty-four degree day before collapsing.2:44McKeever faced a criminal trial in July2025 .2:47The outcome isn't clear, so those accusations remain allegations rather than a2:52finding of guilt.2:53An earlier proposal would have ended horse, drawn carriage operations beginning June2:57first,2024 , and replaced them with horseless electric carriages.3:01The New York City Bar Association backed that proposal in March2023 .3:04The2024 date belonged to that earlier proposal.3:07Then, Mayor Eric Adams called for ending Central Park's horse drawn carriages in3:12September2025 .3:14He signed an executive order strengthening oversight and enforcement while directing3:18agencies to prepare for an eventual council ban.3:20The council has now approved a phase-out, but the current plan doesn't promise the3:23electric carriage program from the earlier proposal.3:26Mayor Mamdani's action comes next.3:28After that, workers need employment assistance that produces dependable work, and3:31the horses need lasting homes before the plan June first,2028 endpoint.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗
