NYC Council vote bans horse-drawn carriage rides by June 2028, ending tradition after nearly 170 years

The New York City Council voted to end horse-drawn carriage rides, approving a ban that would take effect by June 2028, according to Fox News. The legislation passed by a 40-7 vote, drawing immediate backlash from carriage drivers and labor groups that said they intend to challenge the policy in court.

Fox News reported that the Transport Workers Union warned it could file a federal lawsuit if the city moves forward with the ban. The union’s position, as described by the outlet, focused on the impact the change would have on drivers operating within the city’s carriage system and its legal and regulatory implications.

The vote drew national attention after President Donald Trump publicly criticized the measure, the Fox News report said. Trump’s reaction was described as a condemnation of the ban, and his comments amplified the dispute beyond local governance and animal policy debates, bringing the issue into the broader national political spotlight.

City action on the carriage program would affect a long-running form of tourism and street transportation in New York, which Fox News characterized as nearly 170 years old. Under the timeline described in the report, the phase-out would not occur immediately, instead giving several years before the June 2028 deadline.

The measure’s practical effect, according to the reporting, is that the city would no longer allow horse-drawn carriage rides after the deadline. Enforcement and the handling of existing permits and operating arrangements would likely become key issues as the implementation date approaches and parties prepare for potential litigation.

Drivers and the union’s stated plan to pursue federal court action sets up a process that could include challenges to the city’s authority, the ban’s implementation timeline, and any claimed impacts on due process, regulatory compliance, or existing regulatory permissions. The outcome of any lawsuit would determine whether the city proceeds on schedule, modifies the policy, or faces an injunction affecting enforcement.

With the council vote complete and a phase-out deadline established, the next steps will center on how New York plans to carry out the ban by June 2028 and whether legal challenges proceed as threatened. The dispute is likely to remain active as the parties prepare arguments about the city’s regulatory powers and the consequences for drivers and related workforce interests.