Menin backs Central Park horse carriage ban after tourist’s death

Julie Menin said she would support a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, a move that gives the long-stalled effort new momentum after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan died in a runaway crash on June 17. As Council speaker, Menin’s backing could help turn a years-long activist demand into legislation with a path to a committee hearing and, potentially, majority support.

The measure, now introduced as Int. 0943-2026, was renamed from Ryder’s Law to Romanch’s Law after Mahajan’s death. It would prohibit horse-drawn cabs beginning June 1, 2028, phase out new licenses, require humane disposition of the horses and create a workforce development program for drivers and other workers affected by the shutdown. The City Council said it would hold a hearing on the bill next month.

Menin and Health Chair Lynn Schulman called the fatal accident horrific and heartbreaking. The political opening widened after Mayor Eric Adams backed a phaseout of horse-drawn carriages in September 2025 and the Central Park Conservancy called for a ban a month earlier. Animal welfare groups including NYCLASS and PETA have kept up pressure on City Hall, while the Council sponsors Christopher Marte, Joann Ariola and Shahana K. Hanif have kept the bill alive this session.

The industry is fighting back. Transport Workers Union Local 100 says it represents about 300 carriage drivers and owners, and supporters of the trade argue the rides are part of Central Park’s history dating to the park’s opening in 1858. Other figures circulating around the industry put the number of licensed carriages at 68, with about 170 drivers and owner-drivers and roughly 30 workers at the stable, underscoring how small the business is even as it remains politically visible.

The fatal crash also landed against a second recent incident. A carriage horse named Deniz died in Central Park on June 9 after collapsing near West Drive and 72nd Street. After Mahajan’s death, carriage rides were temporarily suspended and drivers were ordered to complete safety refresher courses before service resumed.

The Central Park Conservancy said Mahajan was the first tourist to die from a horse-carriage incident in at least a century. With Council leadership now signaling support, the fight over the carriages has shifted from whether the ban can get a hearing to whether the city is ready to redraw one of Central Park’s most enduring public scenes.