Mayor Bill de Blasio, alongside the City Council and horse carriage industry representatives, has reached a compromise to maintain the horse carriage operations within Central Park, New York City. This new arrangement will decrease the number of carriage horses from 180 to 110 by December and further to 95 upon the inauguration of new stables within the park by 2018. The deal restricts horses from traveling on streets outside of Central Park, except for direct routes to their existing stables starting in June, aiming to address animal welfare concerns and regulate the industry more tightly.
The agreement includes several key provisions: the construction of a stable inside Central Park financed by the city, a reduction in working hours for horses to nine hours per day, and the ability for drivers to impose a $5 surcharge for rides during specific evening hours and holidays. Additionally, to reduce competition for carriage horses, pedicabs will be banned from operating south of 85th Street in Central Park.
Despite initial vows to ban horse carriages on his first day in office, de Blasio faced significant opposition, leading to this compromise. The deal, still pending City Council approval, is described as an “agreement in concept” and could be subjected to legislative hearings as soon as this week. This development follows extensive negotiations between the mayor’s office, the Teamsters union representing carriage drivers, and amid public campaigns supporting the preservation of the horse carriage industry.
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