Mayor Eric Adams Calls for Ban on Carriage Horses in New York City

Strategic Insights -

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday called for the City Council to pass legislation banning horse-drawn carriages from the city, a move that has been decades in the making by animal rights activists. The measure aims to address concerns over safety, with multiple incidents of carriage horses breaking free and running off in Central Park, as well as several incidents where horses collapsed and died on city streets. The city should look into alternatives like electric carriages to give tourists rides in the park, Adams wrote. The animal rights group NYCLASS has long backed a ban, and Adams' announcement comes a month after the Central Park Conservancy called for banning horses from the park.

Key Takeaways:

  • Mayor Eric Adams called on the City Council to pass legislation banning horse-drawn carriages from New York City.
  • The ban is intended to address concerns over safety, including multiple incidents of carriage horses breaking free and running off in Central Park.
  • Adams signed an executive order mandating city agencies to prepare for the demise of the horse-drawn carriage industry.
  • The order also directs the NYPD to crack down on carriage horse operators who go outside of designated areas.
  • The city should look into alternatives like electric carriages to give tourists rides in Central Park.
  • The animal rights group NYCLASS has long backed a ban on horse-drawn carriages.
  • NYCLASS Executive Director Edita Birnkrant said that "Runaway horses, terrifying crashes, human injuries and near-human fatalities along with repeated collapses and deaths of horses on our streets prove this cruel outdated industry cannot continue."
  • The Central Park Conservancy also called for banning horses from the park, citing safety and damage concerns.
  • Mayor Adams' move represents a break with Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the carriage horse drivers and endorsed him during his 2021 campaign.
  • The Transport Workers Union Defense Fund (TWU-DF) stated that they are against the planned ban on horse-drawn carriages.

Statistics:

  • According to the Gothamist article, multiple carriage horses have broken free and run off in Central Park in recent incidents.
  • Several incidents of carriage horses collapsing and dying on city streets have been reported in recent years.
  • The horse-drawn carriage industry has been in operation in New York City for decades.
  • The city is considering alternatives to horse-drawn carriages, including electric vehicles.
  • The Central Park Conservancy backed Adams' call for a ban on carriage horses.
  • The Transport Workers Union (TWU) represents the carriage horse drivers, with around 40,000 members in the U.S. labor union.

Sources:

  • NYC Home, [Executive Order 56 - Carriage Horses](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/press-releases/2025/EO56%20-%20Carriage%20Horses%20-%2009.17.25%20Final.pdf)
  • Gothamist, [Horse Collapses in Midtown, NYPD Investigating](https://gothamist.com/news/horse-collapses-in-midtown-nypd-investigating)
  • Gothamist, [Central Park Conservancy Backs NYC Horse Carriage Ban Citing Safety and Damage](https://gothamist.com/news/central-park-conservancy-backs-nyc-horse-carriage-ban-citing-safety-and-damage)