New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday announced his support for a bill to phase out horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, saying the rides have become incompatible with a modern, crowded urban green space. He also ordered police to tighten enforcement of existing laws governing the industry and sent the City Council a letter of necessity to expedite passage of the measure.
The mayor's order directs agencies to prioritize enforcement against carriages operating outside designated corridors, soliciting fares illegally, or impeding traffic, and to develop a plan for the voluntary surrender or retirement of carriage licenses. The administration also pledged to identify new employment opportunities for workers who would be affected.
“While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space,” Adams said in a statement. “It has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city.”
John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents carriage workers, dismissed the announcement as a “desperation act” by a mayor badly lagging his campaign rivals. “He’s betrayed the blue collar New Yorkers who were relying on him to stand up for their jobs against the real estate developers who want to kill the industry solely to develop those stables into skyscrapers,” Samuelsen said. “He should be ashamed of himself.”
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams similarly suggested the mayor was using the announcement to boost his reelection campaign. In a statement, her office called Adams' actions “opportunistic and not helpful,” though it did not say whether the proposal would receive a public hearing or a council vote this session. “The Council appreciates that this is a difficult and emotional issue for many New Yorkers, which has persisted for decades,” the statement said. “This bill continues to go through the legislative process, which is deliberative and allows for thorough input from all stakeholders.”
Advocacy groups that long have pressed for ending the industry applauded the development. Edita Birnkrant, executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, said the move is a “life-saving step for both people and horses,” reiterating that horse-drawn carriages have no place in the city any longer. The Central Park Conservancy, which manages the park, announced in August that it also backs calls for a ban, citing safety concerns in the park’s increasingly crowded landscape.
The mayor is not the first to weigh in on the issue. Adams’ predecessor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, vowed to shut down the industry “on day one,” only to encounter years of council opposition and public pushback. Actor Liam Neeson, a vocal supporter of the carriage trade, has publicly pressed for retention of the industry, highlighting its cultural ties to New York.
As the debate over Central Park’s carriage business continues, Adams framed the issue as one of balancing tradition with the realities of a modern city. He emphasized that the aim is not to erase a tradition but to honor it in a way that aligns with today’s priorities for animal welfare, safety, and urban planning. The proposal now moves through the legislative process, with supporters optimistic about expedited action, while opponents warn of economic impacts on workers and concerns about the speed of a potential transition.
The outcome will hinge on the City Council’s handling of the measure, including whether hearings are held, which stakeholders are invited to participate, and how a comprehensive worker-transition program is structured. In the meantime, the administration has signaled it will pursue a measured approach to the shift—one that seeks to minimize blanketing disruption while addressing safety and welfare concerns that have dominated the Central Park carriage debate for more than a decade.