Press Release
NEW YORK—Following the City Council's vote to pass Romanch's Law (Intro 943), which will end the horse carriage industry in New York City by June 2028, Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith issued the following statement:
“Central Park was created in 1858 to provide a peaceful respite for the roughly 800,000 residents of a growing city. Horses and buggies were part of everyday life for many New Yorkers, and the Park was a natural home for tranquil carriage rides.
“Over the past 150 years, the life of the city has dramatically changed. Our population is nearly nine million, and Central Park sees some 40 million visits each year as people run, walk, bike, and make memories in this beloved urban green space. It is a volume of activity unthinkable to Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the Park’s designers, and it is fundamentally incompatible with the presence of horse carriages.
“In the modern era, carriages pose a serious—and even fatal—safety risk to Park visitors, carriage drivers, and the horses themselves. Our hearts break for the family of Romanch Mahajan, who stepped into a carriage earlier this summer and never thought he might lose his life.
“The death of Romanch Mahajan, however, was the ninth carriage-related incident in just over a year—a number we could not ignore as the stewards and caretakers of Central Park. We are immensely grateful to Speaker Julie Menin for hearing our call to protect public safety, and her powerful will to action, which no other Speaker has summoned. Speaker Menin has put safety above all, and every New Yorker can be grateful for that.
“We also thank the entire City Council for their support. The commitment of Mayor Mamdani and his team to work towards a smooth transition is crucial, and we are deeply grateful to the Mayor for his vision.
“Until the industry fully sunsets, we will remain focused on protecting safety for our millions of visitors and this beloved landscape, and hope that drivers will do so as well. As the City begins to implement the bill, we look towards a secure future in which Central Park is free of horse-drawn carriages as soon as responsibly possible. At the same time, we will continue to partner with Speaker Menin and Mayor Mamdani and advocate for critical efforts to address e-vehicles, pedicabs, and other important issues in an increasingly crowded Park.
“Dozens of cities around the world, from London to Las Vegas, have moved beyond horse-drawn carriages. Today, New York City finally joins them, and charts a safer future for every New Yorker and for Central Park, which we remain determined to protect as a sanctuary from the pace and pressures of city life—for all.”
A poll conducted earlier this year found 68% of New Yorkers support ending the practice of horse carriages. For more information, see here. Questions may be directed to [email protected].
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About the Central Park Conservancy
The Central Park Conservancy is a private, not-for-profit organization that manages Central Park and is responsible for raising the Park's annual operating budget. The Conservancy’s staff of 400 is responsible for all aspects of the Park’s stewardship, from day-to-day maintenance and operations to continued restoration and rebuilding projects. Additionally, the Conservancy operates the Park’s visitor centers, provides public programs, and serves as a resource for other NYC parks and for public-private partnerships around the world. For more information, please visit centralparknyc.org.