NEW YORK \u2013 Central Park\u2019s iconic horse-drawn carriages will trot on, for now. <\/p>\n
A proposal to ban<\/a> the popular tourist attractions that have been fixtures in Central Park for more than 150 years failed to clear a key New York City Council committee on Friday. <\/p>\n The council\u2019s Committee on Health voted against<\/a> sending the proposal to the full council for its consideration following a packed hearing<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Transport Workers Union of America, which represents horse carriage workers, applauded the panel for standing up for their members.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are hardworking immigrants who take good care of their horses, and have consistently been attacked and slandered by monied interests who care nothing about animal welfare,\u201d John Samuelsen, the union\u2019s president, said in a statement. <\/p>\n But animal rights advocates who have long called for ending the industry, derided the vote as a \u201csham\u201d as they vowed to continue their fight.<\/p>\n The debate over the popular tourist draw was revived over the summer when a carriage horse collapsed and died<\/a> near its stables, with videos and photos of the animal\u2019s body in a city street circulating widely online.<\/p>\n Critics say carriage horses can get easily spooked on city streets, leading to accidents and injuries. They also say the horses are overworked and live in inadequate stables, and that their drivers flaunt city regulations, including leaving behind piles of horse manure.<\/p>\n \u201cHorses have collapsed, even dropped dead on the streets recently. Multiple horses have had violent runaway spooking incidents, crashing into vehicles, sending New Yorkers to the hospital, and nearly trampling others,\u201d New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS, said in a Friday statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n New York City Mayor Eric Adams said city lawmakers ignored the opinions of the \u201cvast majority of New Yorkers\u201d who want the industry ended. The outgoing Democrat threw his support<\/a> behind the proposed ban in recent months and issued an executive order<\/a> stepping up enforcement of the industry, <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a shame that the City Council has once again refused to follow the will of our citizens, while simultaneously endangering pedestrians, drivers, and animals alike,\u201d Adams said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n The council\u2019s Democratic leadership has long resisted calls to hold a public hearing and vote on the proposal, which calls for winding down the industry as early as next summer.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s vote was instead instigated by the bill\u2019s sponsor, who invoked a procedural rule to force a committee vote. <\/p>\n \u201cThis was one of the most undemocratic displays I have ever witnessed in the New York City Council,\u201d Council Member Robert Holden, an outgoing Queens Democrat, said in a statement after his bid was denied. \u201cThe Council could not care less what New Yorkers think.\u201d<\/p>\n Benjamin Fang-Estrada, a spokesperson for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, suggested Holden simply failed to do the \u201clegislative work of building support\u201d among his colleagues.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Council recognizes that this is a difficult and emotional issue, and any path forward requires a sponsor bringing all parties together in a constructive way,\u201d he said in an emailed statement. <\/p>\n The Central Park Conservancy, the influential nonprofit that manages the 843-acre (341-hectare) park, also came out in support of an industry ban, citing its outsized impact on public safety and road infrastructure in the increasingly crowded park.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n