07/19/2026
Last week, I had the honor of testifying before the New York City Council in support of Romanch’s Law, Intro 943. Horses do not belong in Central Park traffic. They never have. A horse spooks. It is not a training failure, it is biology. Sirens, flashes, sudden noise, even a small dog or a stroller can trigger a full flight response in under a second, faster than any driver could ever react. One carriage driver even admitted during testimony that her own horse is afraid of small dogs and wheelie things in the park. That is the reality we are asking these animals to work in every single day. New York City is not the city it was when horse drawn carriages were introduced. The streets are busier, the traffic faster, the noise constant. The landscape has changed, and it is time our transportation traditions change with it. Pedicabs and other safe, modern modes of transport can offer visitors and residents the same charm and experience without asking an animal to risk its life for it. Accidents will keep happening because the risk is built into the job itself. A human life has already been lost. We cannot wait for another one before we act. Nobody is taking these horses away. That is not what this is. The Coalition for Responsible Carriage Horse Retirement is ready to make sure every single horse has a home, if the owner chooses to place them. This is about giving these animals a safe and dignified retirement, not stripping anyone of their property. Passing 943 gives everyone a path forward. The workers have other jobs ahead of them. The horses have retirement instead of risk. Pedicabs and safe transport options can carry the tradition forward. And New York City gets to become a safer place for residents, tourists, and the horses themselves. If you are a New Yorker, call your City Council member and ask them to vote yes on Intro 943. If you are an advocate anywhere else, please make some noise. It is time to pass this.
