New York Set To Accompany Chicago, Asheville, Oxford and More Cities in US by 2028 as Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban Moves Forward

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New York Set To Accompany Chicago, Asheville, Oxford and More Cities in US by 2028 as Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban Moves Forward because city officials are advancing Romanch’s Law, which would end Central Park carriage operations on 1 June 2028 if approved. New York is therefore moving towards joining Chicago, Asheville, Oxford and More Cities in US that have already prohibited horse-drawn carriage activity. The reason centres on public safety, animal welfare and the challenge of operating horse-drawn vehicles in a heavily used urban park. As the Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban Moves Forward, travellers should know that rides remain legal for now, but the traditional Central Park experience could disappear after a phased transition.

What Would Romanch’s Law Actually Change?

The proposal, formally known as Introduction 943-A, would gradually dismantle New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry rather than shut it down immediately.

If approved, the legislation would prohibit new licences for horse-drawn cab operations and set 1 June 2028 as the final date for existing services. It would also require the humane placement of carriage horses and prohibit their sale or transfer for slaughter or use in another horse-drawn carriage business.

Workers are also included in the transition plan. Drivers, stable employees and other affected staff would be eligible for career counselling, job referrals, employment fairs, education opportunities and tuition assistance.

For tourists, this means Central Park carriage rides would not disappear immediately even if the measure passes.

Why Has Central Park Become Central to the Debate?

Central Park receives more than 42 million visitors annually, according to New York City government documents, making it the most heavily used park in the United States.

That enormous visitor volume means carriages now operate alongside pedestrians, cyclists and other forms of micromobility.

City documents cite previous incidents involving horses bolting, including situations where passengers were still aboard. Officials argue that these incidents can create risks not only for the horses and carriage passengers but also for other park users.

The death of Romanch Mahajan intensified those public-safety concerns, but the city had already started considering the industry’s future. In September 2025, the Mayor directed agencies to prepare for a possible phase-out and examine alternatives.

How Strictly Are Carriage Horses Already Regulated?

New York already imposes detailed operational and welfare rules on carriage horses.

Drivers must also be licensed and complete an approved operator course. Carriages require safety equipment including emergency brakes, lights and reflective materials.

City documents have additionally raised concerns about exposure to traffic fumes, hard surfaces, heat, noise, respiratory stress and joint problems. Veterinary oversight was strengthened further after an independent examination of 12 carriage horses in December 2025.

What Does the Proposal Mean for New York Visitors?

Nothing changes immediately for tourists.

Horse-drawn carriage rides remain legal while Romanch’s Law is pending. The City Council vote is scheduled for 22 October 2026, and the proposal currently has 29 Council co-sponsors.

If approved, travellers could continue using carriage services during the transition period until 1 June 2028, subject to existing operating, licensing and weather restrictions.

Longer term, the visitor experience could change significantly. The city has previously discussed alternatives including electric carriages and potentially a Central Park stable where visitors could interact with horses without using them for street transportation.

That would shift one of Central Park’s long-standing tourism traditions towards a different model centred on safety and non-working animal encounters.

What Are the Most Important Dates and Figures?

Which U.S. cities have already banned horse-drawn carriages?

The City of Savannah’s own 2024 policy presentation explicitly lists all 11 places as “Cities that have banned horse drawn carriages.” It separately identifies cities that continued to permit them, demonstrating that the list was being used as a municipal policy benchmark while Savannah reviewed its own carriage-tour regulations. agenda.savannahga.gov

Statistical snapshot

• 11 municipalities identified as having bans
• 8 states represented
• Florida has the largest number on the official list: four cities
• Mississippi has two
• Illinois, Utah, North Carolina, New Jersey and Maryland each have one city represented

Why did Asheville move away from horse-drawn carriages?

Asheville provides one of the clearest examples because historical City Council minutes document the concerns discussed when officials considered horse-drawn carriage operations.

During a 1990 council discussion, objections placed into the official record included:

• carriage load capacity;
• working hours;
• temperature extremes;
• hot asphalt;
• accidents when horses become startled;
• traffic congestion;
• horses breathing vehicle exhaust;
• animal health;
• passenger and animal safety.

One speaker specifically argued that slow-moving carriages could frustrate motorists in downtown traffic, while others raised concerns about horses working on heated pavement and being surrounded by vehicle exhaust. Council members themselves discussed the need for specific animal-health protections in any ordinance.

This makes Asheville particularly relevant to New York’s current debate because many of the same themes recur: dense traffic, unpredictable animal behaviour, human safety and equine welfare.

What concerns appeared in Salt Lake City’s official record?

Salt Lake City’s official public record from its carriage-regulation debate shows a similarly broad group of concerns.

Comments submitted during the city’s review raised issues including:

• horses operating beside motor vehicles;
• winter air pollution and vehicle exhaust;
• extreme summer pavement temperatures;
• animal treatment;
• traffic safety;
• the suitability of urban streets for carriage horses.

One contributor pointed specifically to how closely automobiles passed horses on South Temple, while another argued that poor winter air quality and exhaust exposure made city carriage work inappropriate. Others raised concerns over heat, pavement conditions and general animal welfare.

These comments formed part of the official municipal decision-making record. They should be described as concerns raised during the public process, rather than all being presented as formal findings adopted by the council.

What is the common pattern behind these bans?

Across the official municipal material, four recurring policy themes emerge.

Animal welfare is one. Governments have had to consider how prolonged exposure to pavement, traffic, heat, cold, noise and exhaust affects working horses.

Public safety is another. Horses are large animals capable of reacting suddenly when frightened. In busy urban areas, that can create risks for passengers, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Traffic compatibility also matters. Historic carriage tourism developed when streets were very different. Modern downtowns may now have cars, buses, delivery vehicles, bicycles, scooters and heavy pedestrian activity competing for the same limited road space.

Finally, tourism alternatives increasingly feature in these policy debates. Savannah’s official presentation, for example, explicitly listed transition options including electric-powered carriages when discussing possible changes to its own carriage industry.

Why is Florida notable?

Florida accounts for four of the 11 banned municipalities identified by Savannah:

• Key West
• Palm Beach
• Pompano Beach
• Treasure Island

That is approximately 36% of the cities on the official list.

The consolidated Savannah government presentation confirms their status but does not provide a city-by-city legislative history explaining why each adopted its prohibition. It would therefore be inaccurate to assign a specific animal-welfare incident or traffic accident as the reason for each Florida ban without the individual municipal record.

The safe conclusion is simply that multiple Florida tourism communities have already chosen not to permit horse-drawn carriage operations.

How does this compare with New York City?

New York’s proposed transition is much more significant in scale because Central Park attracts more than 42 million visitors annually and horse-drawn rides have long been associated with Manhattan tourism.

Romanch’s Law would end horse-drawn cab operations on 1 June 2028 if enacted. New York’s official rationale centres on three areas: public safety, animal welfare and compatibility with the modern use of Central Park.

This places New York within an established municipal trend rather than making it the first U.S. destination to eliminate horse-drawn tourism.

The difference is visibility. Ending carriage rides in Central Park would affect one of America’s most internationally recognised urban visitor attractions.

What about cities that still allow carriage tours?

The same Savannah government report shows that many major tourism destinations continued to permit horse-drawn carriages when the comparison was prepared.

These included:

• Charleston, Beaufort, Aiken and Camden in South Carolina;
• Wilmington, New Bern and Pinehurst in North Carolina;
• Savannah, St Simmons Island, Jekyll Island, Thomasville and Madison in Georgia;
• Nashville, Gatlinburg and Chattanooga in Tennessee;
• Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster and Gettysburg in Pennsylvania;
• San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Barbara and San Diego in California;
• St Augustine and Amelia Island in Florida;
• New Orleans and Natchitoches in Louisiana;
• St Louis, Kansas City and St Charles in Missouri.

So there is no nationwide consensus. Some cities ban the activity, while others regulate it.

What does the official evidence show overall?

The strongest government-backed conclusion is that at least 11 municipalities in eight U.S. states had already prohibited horse-drawn carriages according to the City of Savannah’s tourism-policy benchmarking.

The reasons vary by jurisdiction, but official municipal records show recurring concern over:

1. animal welfare and health;
2. traffic and pedestrian safety;
3. extreme temperatures and pavement conditions;
4. vehicle exhaust and urban air quality;
5. horses becoming startled in dense traffic;
6. congestion in tourism districts;
7. availability of electric or other non-animal tourism alternatives.

New York is therefore not pioneering the concept of a carriage ban. What makes its proposal unusual is the location and scale: it would transform a tourism tradition inside a park receiving more than 42 million visits a year.

Conclusion

New York Set To Accompany Chicago, Asheville, Oxford and More Cities in US by 2028 as Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban Moves Forward because the city is considering a planned end to carriage operations rather than an immediate shutdown. Chicago, Asheville, Oxford and More Cities in US have already moved away from horse-drawn tourism, while New York’s proposal would take effect on 1 June 2028 if enacted. The reason is a combination of public-safety concerns, animal-welfare issues and changing conditions inside Central Park. As the Horse-Drawn Carriage Ban Moves Forward, workers would receive transition support and horses would be subject to humane placement requirements, while tourists would continue to have access during the transition period.