Proposal to ban Central Park horse carriages voted down by key NYC council committee

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NEW YORK (AP) — Central Park’s iconic horse-drawn carriages will trot on, for now.

A proposal to ban the popular tourist attractions that have been fixtures in Central Park for more than 150 years failed to clear a key New York City Council committee on Friday.

The council’s Committee on Health voted against sending the proposal to the full council for its consideration following a packed hearing.

The Transport Workers Union of America, which represents horse carriage workers, applauded the panel for standing up for their members.

“They are hardworking immigrants who take good care of their horses, and have consistently been attacked and slandered by monied interests who care nothing about animal welfare,” John Samuelsen, the union’s president, said in a statement.

But animal rights advocates who have long called for ending the industry, derided the vote as a “sham” as they vowed to continue their fight.

The debate over the popular tourist draw was revived over the summer when a carriage horse collapsed and died near its stables, with videos and photos of the animal’s body in a city street circulating widely online.

Critics say carriage horses can get easily spooked on city streets, leading to accidents and injuries. They also say the horses are overworked and live in inadequate stables, and that their drivers flaunt city regulations, including leaving behind piles of horse manure.

“Horses have collapsed, even dropped dead on the streets recently. Multiple horses have had violent runaway spooking incidents, crashing into vehicles, sending New Yorkers to the hospital, and nearly trampling others,” New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS, said in a Friday statement.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said city lawmakers ignored the opinions of the “vast majority of New Yorkers” who want the industry ended. The outgoing Democrat threw his support behind the proposed ban in recent months and issued an executive order stepping up enforcement of the industry,

“It’s a shame that the City Council has once again refused to follow the will of our citizens, while simultaneously endangering pedestrians, drivers, and animals alike,” Adams said in a statement.

The council’s Democratic leadership has long resisted calls to hold a public hearing and vote on the proposal, which calls for winding down the industry as early as next summer.

Friday’s vote was instead instigated by the bill’s sponsor, who invoked a procedural rule to force a committee vote.

“This was one of the most undemocratic displays I have ever witnessed in the New York City Council,” Council Member Robert Holden, an outgoing Queens Democrat, said in a statement after his bid was denied. “The Council could not care less what New Yorkers think.”

Benjamin Fang-Estrada, a spokesperson for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, suggested Holden simply failed to do the “legislative work of building support” among his colleagues.

“The Council recognizes that this is a difficult and emotional issue, and any path forward requires a sponsor bringing all parties together in a constructive way,” he said in an emailed statement.

The Central Park Conservancy, the influential nonprofit that manages the 843-acre (341-hectare) park, also came out in support of an industry ban, citing its outsized impact on public safety and road infrastructure in the increasingly crowded park.

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