Fate of famed NYC carriage horses may be set

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement in concept on the future of New York’s horse carriage industry”, the statement reads. -Requires the establishment of a stable within Central Park by October 1, 2018.

The battle over horse carriages may finally be in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s rearview mirror.

While a small industry involving only a few hundred workers, horse drawn carriages have been at the center of a growing public debate pitting animal-rights activists against industry lobbyists and carriage driver unions. New York City officials are close to a deal that would save Central Park’s horse-dr…

Because the demand for horse carriages will remain more or less the same, the agreement between city hall and service providers states that the latter party will be allowed to hike fare prices.

A bill to get the carriages off the streets and offer the carriage drivers license to operate vintage-looking taxis outside of Manhattan was introduced in the City Council in 2014 but was met with derision from the horse carriage owners.

The number of horse-drawn carriages will be reduced and limited to operation in Central Park, according to an agreement reached this week.

The City Parks Department and Department of Transportation would consult with carriage industry leaders to designate hack stands in Central Park at visible park entrances by June 1.

The deal, effective June 1, reduces the number of licensed horses to 110 from about 180, and limits their labor to nine hours a day by December 1, 2016. Once the stable is complete, the number of licensed horses will drop to 95 with 75 of the horses living in the stable.

Horses that aren’t working must be placed on furlough outside of the city, the city said. They will no longer be permitted to provide their services in Central Park in the southern region near the 85th Street Transverse.

The agreement still needs to be translated into legislation.

The issue, which arose when the City Council balked at de Blasio’s efforts to impose an outright ban on concerns over the horses’ welfare, became one of the mayor’s most contentious political tests during the two years he’s served in office. On the other, there were Mr.de Blasio’s typical allies in the world of organized labor, who represent the carriage drivers and the jobs they might have lost if the industry had been banned completely.