Councilman David Greenfield is urging the New York City Council to postpone the vote on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s contentious horse carriage plan, scheduled for Friday. Criticizing the plan as ill-prepared for a council decision, Greenfield highlighted the lack of clarity and unresolved issues surrounding the proposal, which includes restricting horse carriages to Central Park, constructing a $25 million stable on public land for the industry, and banning pedicabs from the southern part of the park. The plan has drawn criticism from various stakeholders, including parks advocates, animal activists, pedicab operators, stable owners, and drivers, many of whom are concerned about job losses and the legality of allocating park land to a private industry. The vote’s timing, coinciding with a council decision on its own pay raise, has also raised ethical questions. Despite the controversy, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s office has not commented on the call for delay, while NYCLASS, an animal rights group, opposes any postponement, citing the safety of horses as a primary concern.
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https://observer.com/2016/02/councilman-calls-for-delay-in-horse-carriage-vote/