De Blasio May Push For Anti-Horse Carriage Legislation: Reports

NEW YORK, NY — In his waning days of office, Mayor Bill de Blasio is reconsidering a long-promise horse-drawn carriage plan, the New York Times reports.

According to the Times, the de Blasio administration is developing legislation that would slowly replace horse-drawn carriages with “show cars,” which internal City Hall documents obtained by the Times do not define. The administration previously advocated replacing horses with electric-powered vehicles resembling old-time carriages.

During his 2013 mayoral campaign, de Blasio promised to ban the iconic horse-drawn carriages that transport tourists around Central Park “on day one.” Proponents of the ban argued that the long hours and general working conditions are inhumane to horses, while opponents say it will needlessly destroy a popular industry. But efforts to pass legislation stalled, including a 2016 bill that would have limited horses to only Central Park. New York is one of the few remaining cities that still allows horse-drawn carriages.

De Blasio has not announced any plans, which would require approval from the City Council. However, emails obtained by the Times show that city officials are aiming to introduce legislation by Dec. 16, the New York City Council’s final meeting. The emails also show that de Blasio’s office has directed the Economic Development Corporation to contract with Langan Engineering, a consulting firm, to conduct an analysis on the legislation’s potential environmental, transportational, and socioeconomic impacts.

The issue has received renewed attention after the most recent mayoral race, when candidates were asked where they stood on the issue, and the lobbying group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) took out ads against candidates who did not support the ban. In September, the issue came to the fore again when a work horse collided with a car in Midtown. Video shows the bloody horse writhing around in pain. NYCLASS and PETA organized a protest around stables at 618 West 52nd Street, where they plastered caution tape to the walls and doors of the site, and splattered fake blood across the sidewalks, according to AMNY. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, who advocated a ban, attended the protest, according to the New York Post, and attended similar protests in the past.

Mayor-elect Eric Adams does not support a carriage ban, but has said that he’s open to discussing the issue. However, Adams has also been endorsed by Transportation Workers Union Local 100, the union that represents the carriage drivers, according to the New York Post.