Eric Adams calls for Central Park horse carriage ban, inks multi-agency crackdown executive order

Central Park buggy drivers may need to hold their horses.

An ban on Central Park carriage horses is on the horizon, with the mayor signing an executive order Wednesday to crack down on the industry and City Hall eyeing a wind-down of the decades-old tradition by the end of 2026, The Post has exclusively learned.

Mayor Eric Adams took a defiant stance against the horse-drawn carriages in a statement, blasting them as vestiges of old New York that “no longer work for our city” after three separate carriage horses ran wild through the park this summer.

“While horse-drawn carriages have long been an iconic fixture of Central Park, they are increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space,” the mayor said.

While the New York City Council must approve a complete ban, Adams said his anti-carriage order will “ensure city agencies are doing everything in their power to prepare for a City Council ban on the horse carriage industry and to strengthen oversight and enforcement in the meantime.”

That enforcement would include crackdowns on existing regulations through the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Parks, the health department and NYPD.

Under the executive order, the NYPD is ordered to immediately prioritize enforcement against horse-drawn carriages that illegally solicit fares or drive in traffic and bicycle lanes — the latter of which may be impossible for buggies to avoid given Central Park’s recent loop redesign.

The Department of Transportation will study current locations where passengers can board the buggies — and find relocation spots to “less-frequented areas of Central Park.”

The City Council is now considering Ryder’s Law — named after a horse who collapsed and died — which aims to ban the carriages, but it has been stuck in the health committee since last summer.

“By voicing an opinion, we’re hoping it will give [the legislation] a push,” a City Hall rep said.

“We need the Council to do their job, step up, and work with us on comprehensive reform,” the mayor added.

Adams cited Ryder, as well as the death of fellow horse Lady just last month, as some of the “troubling incidents” that raised the alarm on the issue.

Wednesday’s executive order, dubbed “preparing for the cessation of horse-drawn carriages in New York City,” also described animal welfare concerns such as exposure to traffic fumes, noise, hard pavement and extreme heat.

The news also comes less than a month after the Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that maintains the park, came out against horse-drawn carriages over “public health and safety” concerns following years of neutrality. 

The executive order will also call on city agencies to identify “new employment opportunities” for those in the industry — particularly within the tourism sector — and create a voluntary license return process for drivers.

City Hall said it would be open to exploring an electric carriage program “so New Yorkers and visitors can continue to enjoy the majesty of Central Park” or a horse stable inside the green space.

“This is not about eliminating this tradition — it’s about honoring our traditions in a way that aligns with who we are today,” Adams added.

“New Yorkers care deeply about animals, about fairness, and about doing what’s right.”