Mamdani and Menin strike deal to phase out Central Park horse carriages by 2028 Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have agreed on a revised bill to end the horse carriage industry by June 2028, with a Council vote expected next week. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have struck a deal to phase out horse-drawn carriages in New York City, with the City Council planning to vote on the legislation next week. The revised bill would end the issuance of new horse carriage licenses and ban carriage operations in Central Park by June 2028. The City Council confirmed the plan to amNewYork after making several notable changes to the original legislation following a contentious hearing in July. City Council spokesperson Jack Lobel said the vote is expected next week. Politico first reported that the Mamdani administration, which initially had reservations about the bill, is now backing the revised version.Workforce Transition Program DetailsLobel referred amNewYork to the mayor's office for confirmation of the mayor's support. The changes made by the City Council flesh out more clearly the conditions for a workforce transition program that the city must create to assist drivers and owners who would lose their source of income. Menin said the legislation will require the administration to develop a plan to connect hardworking New Yorkers employed in the industry with new economic opportunities.The push to ban the practice has been driven by animal-loving New Yorkers who cited grueling conditions for horses that often work long hours in extreme heat and cold. A city-hired veterinarian also uncovered dozens of abnormalities or concerns inside Central Park's stables. The debate gained new urgency after an 18-year-old tourist from India, Romanch Mahajan, was killed in an accident involving a runaway horse earlier this year. Mahajan was thrown to his death.Carriage rides were suspended after the crash, then resumed on Friday, June 26, 2026. Menin said Mahajan's death showed that continuing the over a century-old industry was no longer acceptable. Horse-drawn carriages have long been part of New York City's history, but in an increasingly busy Central Park, this tradition has become a growing public safety liability, she said in a statement.Romanchs Law Legislative ActionNext week, the Council will take decisive action by voting on Romanch's Law to protect New Yorkers, visitors, and the horses themselves, Menin said. Just as importantly, the legislation will require the administration to develop a plan to connect hardworking New Yorkers employed in this industry with new economic opportunities, she added.We can honor our city's traditions while recognizing when it is time to move forward in the interest of public safety, protecting workers, and strengthening our city's economic vitality, Menin said. The bill is named Romanch's Law in memory of the tourist killed in the crash. Criticisms that the original bill did not do enough to help carriage drivers financially came primarily from the union representing carriage drivers and owners.The union has argued that stray voltage may have caused the fatal Central Park horse carriage crash. The revised legislation aims to address those concerns through the workforce transition program, which would assist drivers and owners who would be out of a source of income. The program's conditions were clarified during the Council's revisions after the July hearing. If the Council votes in favor next week, New York City would join other places that have moved to end carriage rides.Mamdani Administration Shifts StanceThe ban on operating in Central Park would take effect by June 2028, while the city would also stop issuing new licenses for carriage horses. The deal marks a shift for Mamdani, whose administration originally had reservations about the legislation. Menin, as Council speaker, has been a key negotiator in the revised bill. Both leaders have now agreed to move forward with the phase-out.The Council vote is scheduled for next week. The bill's central purpose remains ending the issuance of new horse carriage licenses and banning their operation in the park. The workforce transition program would be developed by the administration to help affected workers find new economic opportunities.