THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
edited press release

City Hall, April 14, 2010 – At today’s Stated Council meeting, the members of the City Council will vote on legislation that will improve living and working conditions for carriage horses in New York and increase the rates carriage drivers may charge for rides.

IMPROVING THE CARRIAGE HORSE INDUSTRY

The Council will vote today on legislation, introduced by Council Member James Gennaro, that improves conditions for carriage horses in New York City. The bill will mandate larger stall sizes, require 5 weeks furlough per year, and set lower and upper age limits for carriage horses, in addition to doubling the number of required annual veterinary visits for all working horses. Drivers will also be required to carry heavy blankets for the horses’ use during cold weather and waterproof blankets for wet weather.

Additional provisions that will increase safety for carriage drivers’ horses and pedestrians include requirements for:

The legislation will prohibit carriages from operating below 34th Street and prohibit rides in any part of New York between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., seven days a week.

Rates for horse carriage rides are set by local law and have remained unchanged for over twenty years. This legislation will increase these rates to ensure they are equivalent to rates charged for other tourist attractions in New York. 

The rates will increase from $34 for the first half hour to $50 for the first twenty minutes. The charge for additional minutes will increase from $10 for fifteen minutes to $20 for ten minutes.  In addition, the bill will allow for rates to be adjusted for inflation every three years, based on the Consumer Price Index.

“These drivers have not received a raise in 20 years – that wouldn’t be acceptable in any other industry and this should be no different,” Speaker Christine C. Quinn said. “As most struggle during this economic time, it only seems just that these drivers receive fair pay.

"I believe that the new rates, along with the new requirements, are huge steps forward for this industry – increasing safety for passengers while also improving conditions for the horses. With these steps, this industry will continue to delight generations of tourists and New Yorkers year after year.”

“This bill makes the best horse carriage industry in the country even better, with reforms that will provide a host of additional protections to the horses, economic sustainability for the drivers and an even better experience for New Yorkers and tourists who come from around the world to see Central Park from an open carriage provided by this iconic industry,” said Council Member James F. Gennaro, the prime sponsor of Int. No. 35. “I am grateful to those in the animal rights community, the horse carriage industry and equine specialists who worked with the Council and the Bloomberg Administration to craft the humanitarian and economic reforms that are central to this bill – the most comprehensive reform of the industry in more than twenty years.”

“I am pleased that the council will be voting on a bill that both strengthens the living and working conditions of horses as well as provides a needed rate increase for carriage drivers,” said Karen Koslowitz, Chair of  the Consumer Affairs Committee. “Through debate and testimony, we have a bill that will make life better for all those involved in the horse carriage industry in New York City.”