The full New York City Council votes on Romanch's Law this Thursday, October 22. The bill would stop the city from issuing new horse-carriage licenses and would ban carriage operation in Central Park starting June 1, 2028. The industry's three pickup points are all on this neighborhood's edge, and so are two of this year's incidents. Passage would also change almost nothing about the street for the next two years.
The Three Stands Are Your Three Entrances
Carriages may only pick up and drop off passengers at three hack stands, and the Health Department monitors horses there. Those stands are inside the park at the Seventh Avenue entrance, the Sixth Avenue entrance, and Grand Army Plaza near Fifth Avenue. They have been there since 2019, when a court cleared the way for the city to move the lines off the 59th Street curb. Before that, amNY reported that carriages waited directly on Central Park South.
That move changed where the horses stand, but every carriage ride still starts and ends within a few steps of Central Park South. A ban would therefore land here first. Any later decision about what fills those three spaces would land here too.
The Year's Incidents Started at the Foot of the Block
The Central Park Conservancy keeps a public list of horse-related incidents. Its June 17 statement counts eight in thirteen months, and the 2026 entries begin at two corners Central Park South residents cross every day.
| Date | Location | What the Conservancy recorded |
|---|---|---|
| January 8, 2026 | Sixth Avenue and West 59th Street | A horse named Destiny ran into traffic through the intersection. Police said four to five cars were hit. |
| May 19, 2026 | Near Seventh Avenue and 59th Street | A spooked horse hit another carriage and tipped it over. |
| June 9, 2026 | Near 72nd Street and West Drive | A horse collapsed and died with two passengers aboard. |
| June 17, 2026 | Cherry Hill to Tavern on the Green | A horse bolted with passengers and collided with another carriage, which flipped. |
The bill takes its name from Romanch Mahajan, a passenger in the June 17 runaway. CNN reported that the union and the Conservancy both believe it was the first carriage death in the more than 150 years the rides have operated. The 2025 entries on the list also cluster near this end of the park. They include a May 2025 collision at the Seventh Avenue hack line and two carriages bolting near 60th Street and East Drive.
How the Vote Got Here
The process moved quickly. Speaker Julie Menin announced a hearing on June 17, the Health Committee heard testimony in July, and the October 14 press release set the October 22 vote with 29 Council Members co-sponsoring. Council Member Christopher Marte, the bill's primary sponsor, told CNN he expects it to pass with a majority.
The administration's position changed between the hearing and the vote. In July, Health Department testimony said Mayor Mamdani believes the city should join others that no longer allow the industry, but the administration called the bill's worker protections insufficient. By October, CNN reported a deal between the mayor and the Speaker that adds an "industry transition framework." Under that framework, a city agency would offer jobs and training through places like the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the MTA, the Port Authority, and hospitality employers. The final text also requires owners to notify the Mayor's Office of Animal Welfare before giving up a horse. It bars selling or transferring horses for slaughter or to another horse-drawn business.
Not everyone agrees. Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, said in the Council's release that "this has always been a matter of public safety" and that the Conservancy hopes "for a safe phaseout over the next 20 months." TWU Local 100 represents the drivers and opposes the bill. amNY's hearing coverage reported that the union argued for safety reforms such as hitching posts, training, and inspections instead of a ban. Transport Workers Union International President John Samuelsen told CNN the bill "has no meaningful economic relief for workers."
What Stays the Same Until June 2028
Passage would not empty the stands at Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Under the bill, the city stops issuing new licenses and carriages stop operating on June 1, 2028. That leaves the 2026 and 2027 holiday seasons and the full summer of 2027 running under the current rules. Those are the rules a Central Park South resident already sees in practice:
- Hours. No carriage may operate between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., seven days a week.
- Daily cap. A carriage horse may not work more than nine hours in any continuous 24-hour period.
- Cold days. Horses come off the street at 18°F or below.
- Hot days. Horses stop at 90°F or above. They also stop at 80°F or above when the equine heat index crosses the threshold set in the Administrative Code.
- Winter gear. From November through April, heavy blankets must be available to cover each horse in cold weather.
July testimony described how enforcement is split. The Health Department licenses horses and watches the stands, Consumer and Worker Protection handles driver licensing, and NYPD and DOT also play a role. None of that changes with Thursday's vote.
The Dates Between Now and the Last Ride
If the bill passes, the timeline looks like this:
- Thursday, October 22, 2026. Full Council vote on the bill.
- April 2027. According to Samuelsen's statement to CNN, the bill asks the city to prepare its worker transition plan by this month. Separately, the Speaker's office is forming a working group with one representative each from the administration, labor, and the Speaker's office.
- June 1, 2028. All carriage operation ends. The July hearing record describes new operator licenses as barred after this date as well.
The text leaves two things open that matter on this edge of the park. First, the Council's description of the bill does not say what happens to the three hack-stand spaces at Grand Army Plaza, Sixth Avenue, and Seventh Avenue after the last carriage leaves. Second, the stables are a separate question. According to the July hearing transcript, a carriage owner testified that he and 14 other medallion owners own the stable on West 52nd Street, that the other two stables are also owned by medallion holders, and that "our mission is not to give up our land ever." The Council's summary of the bill does not mention the stable buildings.
Pedicabs, which also work the south end of the park, are covered by different legislation. In August, Council Member Gale Brewer's office announced bills aimed at pedicab price gouging. Pedicab rules are set by Consumer and Worker Protection, not by the carriage bill.
The Council's October 14 announcement sets out the bill's main terms and the June 1, 2028 end date.
Changes at the park's edge show up in Central Park South listings, from the view a buyer is paying for to what they hear on the way home. If you own on this stretch, or are thinking about a building that faces those three entrances, Lena Simpson can walk you through how buyers are weighing the corridor while the carriages are still on the street. Request a Personalized Consultation.
