The New York City Council passed a bill
rides in the city by 2028.Lawmakers
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Council → pass → 2028.Lawmakers
The legislation is named after
, 18, who died during a in June in Central Park.
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who → name → Park
The bill is now headed to Mayor Zohran Mamdani to sign.
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bill → head → Mamdani
"With a majority of the Council behind us, we have a historic opportunity to protect New Yorkers, visitors, workers, and animals, and we intend to finish the job," council member Christopher Marte said prior to the vote.
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Marte → have → vote
The law is making history, as the carriages have been part of the park since its inception more than 160 years ago.
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carriages → make → inception
It's ending operations in June 2028, with a transition plan for workers and owners required in 2027.
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plan → end → 2027
The bill also calls for the
of animals.and their families are arguing, however, that the plan doesn't go far enough.
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plan → call → the
They rallied outside City Hall Wednesday and Thursday to push back.
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They → rally → Hall
One family said they have spent nearly a century building their business.
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they → say → business
"I invested $400,000 two years ago to expand my father's dream, and you're coming here to steal it," owner Francesco Riccobono said.
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Riccobono → invest → it
"We are asking for fairness.
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We → ask → fairness
We are asking for compassion.
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We → ask → compassion
We are asking for a seat at the table," said his wife, Natalie.
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wife → ask → table
The Transport Workers Union said it is prepared to challenge the ban in federal court.
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it → say → court
TWU lawyer Ben Kallos said he believes a judge will overturn the legislation.
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judge → say → legislation
"They were supposed to figure out what the economic impact was.
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impact → suppose → ?
It's required by the city charter, and if you pull the economic impact analysis, it's blank," he said.
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he → require → analysis
City Council Speaker Julie Menin said in an interview with NY1 that the ban is necessary to protect animals and public safety.
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ban → say → animals
"Forty-two million people use Central Park each and every year, and the horse carriages are operating in a very crowded area.
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carriages → use → area
We've had numerous accidents that have happened where horses have been spooked; they've broken free," she said.
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she → have → accidents
Menin said it has been a long-time issue.
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it → say → ?
"The first city council bill to ban the horse carriage industry happened 19 years ago.
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bill → ban → industry
So certainly from an animal welfare perspective, this is very important to do," she said.
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she → do → perspective
Supporters of the bill praised the vote and thanked city leaders for advancing the measure.
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Supporters → praise → measure
Betsy Smith, CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, said in a statement that the carriage rides pose a "serious and even fatal safety risk to Park visitors, carriage drivers, and the horses themselves.
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rides → say → visitors
Our hearts break for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who stepped into a carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life."
uncertain
he → break → life
Kathleen Schatzmann, strategic legislative affairs manager at the Animal Legal Defense Fund, called the vote "the start of a more humane and safe approach to New York tourism" and said the law would responsibly phase out the horse-drawn carriage industry while providing support for workers and protections for horses.
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law → call → horses
The Aporia
