In a city that has always made room for the old and the new, the New York City Council has voted to bring an end to horse-drawn carriages, a tradition that has circled Central Park for more than 160 years. The measure, named Romanch's Law, carries the name of an 18-year-old whose death in June after a carriage incident became the weight that finally tipped the long debate. Its final authority now rests with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has indicated he will sign it, even as the people whose livelihoods depend on the horses prepare to contest a change they feel was made without them. The city's st
NYC Council Passes Ban on Central Park Horse-Drawn Carriages, Ending Rides by 2028
Romanch Mahajan, 18, died in a June 2026 carriage-related incident in Central Park, and carriage owners and workers face loss of livelihoods.
The first council bill to ban the industry came 19 years ago.
Mark
Why did this pass now, when the first ban bill was 19 years ago?
Mimi
The June death of Romanch Mahajan, who was 18, is the turning point. The law carries his name, and his family's attorney has said the aim is that his death not be in vain.
Mark
Speaker Menin cited numbers. How solid are they?
Luke
The 42 million annual park visitors is her figure, given to NY1. She also said there have been numerous accidents with spooked horses breaking free, but she gave no count. That's a claim, not a tally.
Mark
What do the owners say they're losing?
Mimi
Francesco Riccobono says he put $400,000 into expanding his father's business two years ago. His family says they've spent nearly a century in it. His wife Natalie says they want a seat at the table.
Mark
And the union's legal argument?
Luke
Ben Kallos says the city charter requires an economic impact analysis and that the one on file is blank. That's his description. Whether a court agrees, we don't know, and he's an advocate predicting his own win.
Mark
President Trump compared it to car accidents.
Luke
That's his argument, and he said one accident drove the ban. Supporters point to broader safety concerns, so the two sides are framing the cause differently.
Mark
What's actually settled?
Mimi
The Council passed it, the mayor's office says he'll sign, and operations end in June 2028 with a transition plan due in 2027.
Luke
What's unsettled is the lawsuit, and what the transition support will actually look like for workers and owners.
O Pulso
- A June death in Central Park forced a decades-old debate into a sudden, unavoidable vote.
- Carriage owners and drivers rallied outside City Hall, insisting the city is taking away businesses they spent generations building.
- The Transport Workers Union is preparing a federal court challenge, arguing the required economic impact analysis was left blank.
- Mayor Mamdani's office says he will sign the bill and is working to protect workers, with a transition plan due in 2027 and operations ending June 2028.
In a city that has always made room for the old and the new, the New York City Council has voted to bring an end to horse-drawn carriages, a tradition that has circled Central Park for more than 160 years. The measure, named Romanch's Law, carries the name of an 18-year-old whose death in June after a carriage incident became the weight that finally tipped the long debate. Its final authority now rests with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has indicated he will sign it, even as the people whose livelihoods depend on the horses prepare to contest a change they feel was made without them. The city's story here is one of tradition colliding with a fear that has grown harder to ignore, and the outcome will be measured in the years of transition still ahead.
On Thursday afternoon, the New York City Council voted to end horse-drawn carriage rides across the city. The measure, called Romanch's Law, sets June 2028 as the last day of operations. It takes its name from Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old who died in June after an incident involving a carriage in Central Park.
The bill now moves to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose office has said he will sign it while working to offer the strongest possible protections for owners and workers. The law requires a transition plan in 2027 and includes provisions for the horses themselves.
Council Speaker Julie Menin said the ban is necessary for animal welfare and public safety, pointing to a crowded park visited by 42 million people each year and to repeated incidents in which spooked horses broke free. Mahajan's family, through attorney Saggar Chadha, said they want to be sure his death was not in vain and that no one else is harmed. The Central Park Conservancy and animal advocates also welcomed the vote as a safer path forward.
For carriage owners, the decision feels like a loss after nearly a century of work. Francesco Riccobono, who invested $400,000 two years ago to expand his father's business, said the city is taking something that belongs to his family. His wife, Natalie, asked only for fairness, compassion and a seat at the table.
The Transport Workers Union plans to challenge the ban in federal court, arguing that the city charter requires an economic impact analysis that has not been properly completed. President Trump also criticized the decision, calling the carriages a great tradition. What comes next is the mayor's signature, the 2027 transition, and a likely legal fight.
On Thursday afternoon, the New York City Council voted to end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city. The measure, called Romanch's Law, sets the end of operations for June 2028. It is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old who died in June after an incident involving a carriage in Central Park.
The bill now goes to Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his signature. His office said in a statement to CBS News New York on Thursday night that the mayor will sign it, and that the administration is working to do so while providing the strongest possible protections for the owners and workers in the industry. The law requires a transition plan for those workers and owners in 2027, and it also calls for provisions covering the animals themselves.
The change is a significant one. Carriages have been part of Central Park since its beginning, more than 160 years ago. Council Speaker Julie Menin told NY1 the ban is needed for animal welfare and public safety. She noted that 42 million people use the park every year, and that carriages operate in a very crowded area. In her words, there have been numerous accidents in which horses were spooked and broke free. She also pointed to the long history of the fight: the first council bill to ban the industry came 19 years ago.
Council member Christopher Marte, speaking before the vote, said a majority of the Council was behind the bill and called it a historic opportunity to protect New Yorkers, visitors, workers and animals. Saggar Chadha, the attorney for Mahajan's family, said the family wants to be sure Romanch's death was not in vain, and that no one else should be killed or injured by carriages in the city. Betsy Smith, CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, said the rides pose a serious and even fatal safety risk to visitors, drivers and horses, and said the Conservancy's hearts break for Mahajan's family. Kathleen Schatzmann of 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 phases out the industry responsibly while supporting workers and protecting horses.
Carriage owners and their families say the plan does not go far enough to protect them. They rallied outside City Hall on Wednesday and Thursday. One family said it has spent nearly a century building its business. Owner Francesco Riccobono said he invested $400,000 two years ago to expand his father's dream, and accused the city of coming to steal it. His wife, Natalie, said the family is asking for fairness, compassion and a seat at the table.
The Transport Workers Union says it is prepared to challenge the ban in federal court. Its lawyer, Ben Kallos, said he believes a judge will overturn the legislation. His argument is procedural: the city charter requires an analysis of the economic impact, he said, and when you pull that analysis, it is blank.
President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling the end of the industry sad and arguing that the move was driven by a single tragic accident. He said that when cars crash in the area, which happens often, the city does not bar cars from the park, so it should not stop carriages. He called the carriages a great tradition and said they will be missed.
What comes next is the mayor's signature, then the 2027 transition plan for workers and owners, and the likely court fight from the union over whether the required economic analysis was done.
Citações Notáveis
We want to make sure Romanch's death was not in vain.— Saggar Chadha, attorney for Romanch Mahajan's family
If you pull the economic impact analysis, it's blank.— Ben Kallos, lawyer for the Transport Workers Union
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