Earlyview Times - Earlyview  News / Magazine

Header
collapse
...
Home / Lifestyle / With Central Park now crowded with bikes and strollers, park officials are looking to phase out horse-drawn carriages

With Central Park now crowded with bikes and strollers, park officials are looking to phase out horse-drawn carriages

Aug 24, 2025  Mike Eudora  1,846 views

NEW YORK — For more than a century and a half, horse-drawn carriages have been a fixture of Manhattan’s Central Park, charming tourists and locals alike with rides through its winding paths. These carriages have survived countless challenges: the rise of the automobile, the persistent calls from animal rights activists demanding their ban, and even a mayoral administration that once pledged to end the practice outright. Yet, despite the controversies, the industry has remained.

Now, however, the very organization tasked with caring for the 843-acre green space has entered the debate, tipping the balance in a way that may finally spell the end for the nostalgic rides. The Central Park Conservancy, which for decades has stayed neutral, formally urged the City Council to adopt a proposal to phase out the carriage horse industry as early as next summer. In an August 12 letter, the nonprofit argued that carriages pose a disproportionate risk to both public safety and park infrastructure, especially as visitor traffic grows more congested.

“We can’t be just frozen in time,” said Elizabeth Smith, CEO of the conservancy. “Horses are too unpredictable, and Central Park is no longer the quiet space it once was. Today, the roads are packed with cyclists, joggers, strollers, and walkers all competing for space. It’s simply too risky to continue.”

Smith pointed out that other cities have already moved away from horse-drawn carriages. San Antonio approved a five-year phase-out in 2023, while Chicago banned them outright in 2021 and Montreal did the same in 2020. Central Park, she noted, should not remain an exception.

Still, the carriage industry insists it is being unfairly targeted. According to the Transport Workers Union, which represents the drivers, the number of carriage horses has stayed consistent since World War II. At present, there are 68 licensed carriage owners, roughly 200 horses, and 170 active drivers. By comparison, Central Park now welcomes around 40 million visitors each year, many of whom rent bicycles or opt for human-powered pedicabs, which line the park entrances. Cars, once a major concern, were banned from the park’s roads in 2018.

For the industry, eliminating carriage rides runs counter to Frederick Law Olmsted’s original vision for the park, which was designed with rolling landscapes and meandering roads intended for leisurely carriage travel. “We’re showing visitors the park the way it was meant to be seen,” said longtime driver Christina Hansen, who noted that rides currently cost about $72 for the first 20 minutes and $29 for every 10 minutes thereafter.

Animal rights advocates, however, argue the risks and suffering outweigh the nostalgia. Groups like New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets claim horses are overworked, poorly stabled, and often put in harm’s way in the bustling city. They cite frequent accidents, runaway incidents, and instances of horses collapsing in the street. “There’s simply no way to make horse-drawn carriages safe or humane,” said Edita Birnkrant, the group’s executive director. “No amount of regulation can fix it — and Lord knows we have tried.”

The conservancy’s endorsement came just after a 15-year-old mare collapsed and died near its stable earlier this month, sparking outrage when images of the animal lying on the asphalt circulated online. Yet Smith insisted that it wasn’t animal rights concerns that tipped the conservancy’s decision. Instead, she pointed to two alarming safety incidents in recent months — one where a spooked horse bolted and ran loose through the park, and another where two horses broke free and plowed into parked pedicabs, leaving a driver with a broken wrist.

Whether the City Council will act remains unclear. Speaker Adrienne Adams’ office declined to confirm whether the proposal will even be considered this session. A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said the administration will consult both industry representatives and advocates in search of “a better path forward,” though his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, failed to achieve the same goal despite making it a centerpiece of his 2013 campaign.

Carriage owners argue their horses are well-treated under New York City’s strict regulations. Animals are inspected by veterinarians twice yearly, retired by age 26, and are prohibited from working in extreme weather conditions. Each horse must also receive at least five weeks of annual rest outside the city with daily access to pastures. “My horses, I give them a good life,” said longtime owner Onur Altintas. “In Kentucky, they race horses until they break. That’s abuse. This is not.”

A visit to a Manhattan stable this week revealed neat rows of ornate carriages on the ground floor, with horses stabled in upper-level stalls padded with hay, though without any outdoor space. Tourists, meanwhile, remain divided. “I had this ride on my must-do list,” said Utah visitor Lynn Buckalew, who lined up for a carriage ride with her husband. “But after hearing about the abuse and that poor horse that died this month, I have to admit, it makes me look at it differently.”

For now, the debate continues: tradition and nostalgia on one side, public safety and animal welfare on the other. But with the conservancy now in favor of ending the practice, horse-drawn carriages in Central Park may finally be nearing the end of their long and storied run.


Share:

Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies Cookie Policy