De Blasio Confirms Final Push For New York Horse Carriage Ban

CENTRAL PARK, NY — After a report from the New York Times two weeks ago that said Mayor Bill de Blasio was making one last push to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, the mayor confirmed the rumblings at a recent news conference.

De Blasio told reporters last week that he is actively talking with the City Council about possible legislation to ban horse carriages.

"It's something I've believed for a long time that horse carriages just don't make sense," de Blasio said. "They're inhumane, they don't make sense, it's the 21st century for God's sake."

The mayor has a long history of trying to ban the carriages. During his 2013 campaign, he promised to ban the iconic horse-drawn rides that take tourists around Central Park "on day one."

All his effort to pass legislation on the subject during his tenure have stalled, though, including a 2016 bill that would have limited horses to only Central Park.

"There's a lot of people that share the view that horse carriages don't make sense anymore in our society," the mayor said Monday. "Again, they're inhumane, we've seen consistently horrible images of crashes with horses, horses in pain, or even worse horses dying on the job."

De Blasio was also asked last Monday morning to explain his corresponding push to reintroduce cars in Central Park, despite banning them in 2018.

"What we're talking about is not individual cars, it would be something for tourists coming to have a special experience," de Blasio said.

The mayor's explanation of the vehicles he wants to see in Central Park aligns with the New York Times recent report that the de Blasio administration is developing legislation that would slowly replace horse-drawn carriages with "show cars," which internal City Hall documents obtained by the Times do not define.

The administration previously suggested replacing the horses with electric-powered vehicles resembling old-time carriages.

New York is one of the few remaining cities that still allows horse-drawn carriages.

De Blasio did not give an exact timeline on his legislation push, but emails obtained by the New York Times show that city officials are aiming to introduce legislation by Dec. 16 — the New York City Council's final meeting.

Read More: De Blasio May Push For Anti-Horse Carriage Legislation: Reports