NYC mayor tries again for horse-drawn carriage ban
NEW YORK >> When Bill de Blasio first ran for mayor of New York City, he promised to ban horse-drawn carriages “on day one.”
Eight years later, with just six weeks left in office, de Blasio is trying one last time to fulfill that pledge.
His administration is developing legislation that would phase out the use of the carriages in Central Park and replace them with “show cars,” according to a series of internal City Hall emails marked “confidential” that were sent between late October and last week and reviewed by The New York Times.
The promise to ban horse-drawn carriages, along with an ultimately successful plan to implement universal prekindergarten, was among a handful of major proposals that animated de Blasio’s successful mayoral bid. De Blasio and some advocates argue that it is inhumane to use horses for transportation in a modern city filled with cars.
Now, as the mayor contemplates a run for governor next year, he has returned to his core campaign issues: In an appearance on MSNBC Thursday, he proposed statewide, yearround, all-day school, a vision that he said would “revolutionize education in the state of New York.”
De Blasio has yet to announce his plan to ban horse-drawn carriages, which would require approval by the City Council, but it has been quietly moving forward. In the emails, city officials said they were aiming to have the legislation ready by Dec. 16, when the City Council is expected to hold its last full meeting of 2021.
Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for the mayor, said that de Blasio had always wanted to ban horsedrawn carriages and that he hoped the City Council would again consider it.
The mayor’s office has directed the Economic Development Corp. to contract with a consulting firm, Langan Engineering, to conduct an analysis of the proposal, with a focus on its environmental, transportation and socioeconomic impacts, according to the emails. The firm’s managing principal did not respond to requests for comment.
It remains unclear if there is any appetite in the City Council to ban horsedrawn carriages. “The council has not received a proposal from the mayor,” said Shirley Limongi, a spokeswoman for the council. “We will review anything we do receive.”
The City Hall emails do not define “show cars,” but proponents of banning the carriages have previously pushed to replace them with electric-powered vehicles resembling old-time carriages.