Two industries that ferry tourists around Central Park could be severely curtailed under a proposal from Mayor de Blasio. The compromise deal with the Teamsters Union that represents carriage drivers is not as draconian as the mayor’s initial plan to ban carriage horses entirely in Central Park.
It would reduce the number of carriages to 95 from 220, with a maximum of 75 allowed to operate in Central Park at a time. And it would move the stables from the horses into Central Park, with plans to spend $20 million in public funds to build a stable in the park: “It is like building a palace for a concessionaire,” said Betsy Barlow Rogers, a founder of the Central Park Conservancy. She thinks it “absolutely must be opposed.”
Pedicabs, meanwhile, would be banned below 85th street, which could decimate the industry. Pedicab drivers don’t have a union and are thus less powerful. They may sue, however.
A hearing on the plan is set for Friday.
If you’re curious, here’s how much to tip your pedicab driver while he still has a job.
Photos by Baxter Tocher and Elvert Barnes.
As usual NYC and the Ciry Council will proceed in the dark to enact laws that will result in lost jobs and destroyed livelihoods for middle and working class New Yorkers but no worries the Mayor’s developer friends will be able to scoop up the tastie and lucrative development parcel which is the current site oft he carriage stables.
If the Council had any guts it would tell the Mayor to bring a real proposal with an executed agreement with tern sheet and plans including funding for the new stables to be sited in the Park, Central Oark and the provision of space for the Park related trades and services that will be displaced by the taxpayer provided stables. But don’t hold your breath because the Mayor has “promises” ro keep to his campaign donors. Taxpayers will again be asked to shoulder the financial burdens created by the Mayor’s short sighted promises.
Shameful.
Call you counci member and tell them to Standup and refuse to approve this mysterious, short sighted and expensive proposal.
This new horse carriage plan is insane! De Blasio is desperate! So the proposal is to spend millions of dollars to renovate Central Park’s buildings that house the park’s tradesmen- make them into stables- cut down the number of horses to 1/3 of current number/then turn the 86th st. Transverse into the exit/entrance for the carriage horses – stopping crosstown traffic & putting everyone & horses into traffic & harms way!! Ban pedicabs from biking below 86th st. So they their livelihood -really? All this chaos to pay back Real Estate backers.
AS IS TOO USUAL NYC–SADLY DEBALSIO HAS HIS/THE CITY’S PRIORITIES BACKWARDS WHEN IT COMES TO CARRIAGE HORSES AND PEDICABS. THE ISSUE IS LESS THE MISUSE OF CARRIAGE HORSES BY THEIR OWNER/DRIVERS OR MANURE ON THE STREET (THE UN-SPOKENS BEHIND THE ISSUE) THAN IT IS THE LONG STANDING FAILURE OF THE CITY TO ADEQUATELY HOUSE AND PROVIDE FOR ITS CARRIAGE HORSES–WHICH INCLUDES BUILDING PROPER CAR FREE LANES FOR THEM–AND FOR BICYCLISTS IN THE FACE OF REAL ESTATE PRIORITIES IN THE CENTRAL CITY. EVERY MAYOR WOULD RATHER DESTROY STABLES AND FAIL TO BUILD DECENT STREETS RATHER THAN CURB LUXURY DEVELOPMENTS BY THE AVARICIOUS REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY. THEY “FORGET” OVER AND OVER THAT WHEN A CULTURE FAILS TO PROTECT ITS WEAKEST SEGMENTS, IT FAILS US ALL. THE ANIMALS THAT HELP TO MAKE A SMALL CHARMING INDUSTRY ARE A WELL LOVED PART OF THE CITY’S ALLURE. WHO AMONG US CAN EVER FORGET A CHILDHOOD RIDE IN A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE THROUGH CENTRAL PARK?
LET’S PROPERLY PROTECT THE CARRIAGE HORSES–AND THE INDUSTRY–BY MAKING SURE THAT THE HORSES ARE PROPERLY CARED FOR AND HOUSED, THAT THEY HAVE LANES SEPARATED FROM CARS/TRUCKS WHEN IN CITY STREETS– AND WHEN “RETIRED” THAT THEY DON’T END UP IN DOG FOOD FACTORIES!
AS FOR THE PEDICABS: DITTO RE THE MISPLACED PRIORITIES. LICENSE THEM SENSIBLY–IF WE MUST–PRIMARILY TO ENSURE SAFETY FOR DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS ALIKE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME LET’S PROVIDE MORE AND MORE SAFE MARKED LANES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY FOR ALL PEDDLERS INCLUDING THE SMALL PEDICAB INDUSTRY. AND NO INCIDENTALLY, LET’S PUT WORKABLE POLICIES IN PLACE TO REDUCE THE DIRT AND POLLUTION THAT ALL OF US–INCLUDING THE PEDDLERS AND HORSES– INHALE WHEN WE ARE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO RIDE ON NYC STREETS.
AND PLEASE: DON’T NAME CALL ANY PLANNER SENSIBLE AND CREATIVE ENOUGH TO RESERVE AND ENHANCE THE SMALL STUFF THAT MAKES THE CITY THE PLACE TO LIVE, TO WORK, TO CREATE. THERE ARE ALWAYS SOLUTIONS IF ONLY WE FIND THEM.
is all caps still a thing? lol. I thought that went out about 15 years ago
It’s still a thing if you’re angry and clueless, apparently.
Posting in all caps makes me not want to read your comment (in fact, I did not read it because the caps were giving me a headache!)
Oh, boohoo! Poor baby!
TAKE AN ADVIL AND TRY AGAIN!!
This issue is too important for your self-absorbed cwap!!
Sorry, but your all caps post only demonstrates that people with your opinion are desperate and someone deranged.
Try again with logic and reasoning and not hysteria.
CAPS LOCK MAKES ME MORE SERIOUS!
Getting rid of pedicabs, driven by persons who don’t care much of us walkers, would be fantastic for Central Park. But I also think horse drawn carriages should also be almost banished. Then we will just have crazy persons who think they are professional bicyclists crashing into us pedistrians walking through Central Park. Maybe there should be a filmed mashed up some weekend involving dead and surviving Central Park horses, pedicab drivers, horse drawn carriage drivers, crazy bicyclists, politicians, and pedistrians to finally resolve this issue.
What becomes of the current stables? I assume they are torn down and replaced by multimillion dollar condos. So the rich developers are the winners. The losers are the tax payers funding the new stable, the people of NYC who lose land in Central Park for a stable, and the men who have been working as drivers of the horse drawn carriages.
I completely agree. This from a man who cannot recall when he last was in Central Park and also does not know exactly how much it will cost to build/renovate the stables. The $25 million is basically pulled out of the air and he says as much in the NYT. De Blasio has one gift and that is the gift of pissing off everybody except the developers. I hope this plan gets shut down quickly.
You just hit the nail on the head, Brandon. That is the whole story in a nutshell. Real estate developers get 100%, taxpayers and carriage drivers get 0.
i thought the pediabs could not come above 72 street.
Pedicabs are permitted between anywhere between 34th St & entire Central Park.
Under new rule, pedicabs will be restricted south of 85th St, giving carriage industry more of Central Park.
If you check review for Central Park Pedicabs and Central Park Carriage Horse, there’s more good review on Pedicabs than carriage horse ride. For Carriage horse, look for bad review. Some tourists got their money stolen by carriage driver because they change my mind and want refund, but carriage driver refused to give their refund and scram them off. Carriage driver unions are not true unions because they don’t give health benefit.
https://www.facebook.com/Save-Central-Park-Pedicabs-923700604403785/?fref=ts
Kinda puts them in a quandary, doesn’t it? 🙂
I wish this quick of an axe could be taken to the helicopter companies flying over Riverside Park.
I also don’t understand why the city would push pedicabs up above 85th street in CP. Thats the quieter calmer side that works best for residents. The northern half is an oasis of sorts, including for those of us who are biking.
First, I cannot read ALL CAPS, too annoying. Second, leave the horses and jobs alone. Someone mentioned the real estate developer connection to this change and I totally agree. Now it makes sense that DeBlasio is pushing this. I will contact my council person and voice my opinion let the horses and carriage drivers carry on.
This is an example for why some people gravitate towards politicians like Trump. The system seems to be broken, fractured at best. Mr. Deblasio decided to run for the office of mayor and in doing so needs lots of money and support. He decided to take A LOT of money (and support) from a group of wealthy individuals with the promise that he will abolish the pedicab and horse carriages around Central Park. He fails to do so one and two years into his term in office. Finally now he pushes this agenda forward. The rational – none other than quid pro quo. The issue is of little if any importance to the city at large. Certainly far, far behind the problems we have around crime, education, housing, sanitation, transportation, homeless,…But not only does Mr Deblasio clearly represent a “bought politician” and special interests, and not only is he spending his time and that of many other people on matters that are clearly of little importance to NYC, but he is now proposing the use of $25 MILLION of public tax payer funded money to build a facility in Central Park where the horse carriages can be stored and maintained. $25 million! And we all know that will only be the start – it will likely end up costing much more.
By the way, here is a guy who had the lack of foresight and balls to propose that private donations to parks like Central Park and others like it be re-distributed to park with less private support that were in need of desperate repair. Like that was even remotely possible to do under anything resembling a democracy! Anyhow, now he wants to spend $25M (he calls it investing) to build a horse carriage facility instead of using those funds to help the parks he so desperately asked for private donors to help. Come on!
Nice way to increase the ranks of the unemployed…good job.
I wonder 1)how much the property where the horses are now housed is worth and 2)what real estate company is poised to build another skyscraper on it.
I am disappointed that the horse and buggy are not banned outright, and that will be reflected when I vote this current mayor out of office, but I will say that removing the nuisance called a pedicab is brilliant. They are rude and inconsiderate, and they are especially a blight on this city from a tourist’s perspective. A solution would be to have the pedicab workers pull the carriages (maybe the driver can use a selfie stick a la carrot on a string but a phablet at the end to keep the forward momentum) instead – a win win for both groups and animals all around! Anyone second?
I am concerned about animal cruelty and fairness to workers. I now support keeping the carriages, perhaps with a safety lane from the stables to the park. Here are links to two of the most influential things I came across, an article and a video. My own observations and conversations with people who know about horses support what they have to say. When I respectfully asked protestors at a “ban carriages” rally about the issues these raise, I was met with surprising hostility and no satisfactory answers. Notably, I asked what will become of horses that do not get purchased for the park (it appears they will be destroyed), and what will become of the workers? The proposed reduction will mean fewer horses purchased (rescued), and will force fewer than half the number of horses to do a comparable amount of work without “swapping out” or taking shifts. This plan can result in more horses destroyed, overworked animals, lost livelihoods, and prices only the wealthiest tourists and residents can afford. (But, as some have pointed out, that prime real estate now taken up by the stables will become available to campaign donors.)
https://nymag.com/news/features/carriage-horses-2014-2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnNgAKQEN7U
This is very helpful. This all smells funny (and I’m not talking about the manure). DeBlasio repaying his real estate titan campaign donors and the horses and people’s livelihoods irreparably damaged (or killed) as a result. How can we protest this other than calling our council representatives?
An alternative:
Add a dedicated horse-carriage lane to Amsterdam (uptown) and Columbus Avenues (downtown). Safety issues: resolved.
Give landmark status to the current stables so they cannot be developed by De Blasio’s developer friends. Conflict of interest issues: resolved.
Figure out how to house the homeless, stop the gunplay in the streets, get the subways to run more often than not. Mayoral priority issues: resolved.
If only —
I love seeing the horses in Central Park. Living in the city precludes most from ever experiencing animals such as horses. I can remember as a kid being so excited to see horses in the park. I’ve seen the same amazement in my children’s eyes the last few years. I consider the horses an important aspect of our city life that I hope never goes away for future generations of children and tourists to enjoy.
As for the pedicabs, good riddance. They have taken over what used to be a very peaceful spot at 72nd and CPW and turned it into their hangout. Ever spend any time around them as they hang out. Usually pestering people to ride and then arguing among themselves using bad language as I try to shield my kids. They also like to speed down the transverse hill at 72nd while ringing their bell to warn families they are approaching at a crazy rate of speed – all to give the tourist rider a thrill and justify spending a few bucks a minute for that crap. They bring nothing to the ambiance and tranquility of Central Park. Get rid of ’em.
Actually if they built stables in Central Park, there will be no public spaces where people and children hang out. Central Park is historical landmark and many Upper East Side and Upper West Side residents don’t want any STABLES inside Central park.
Current stables are located next to near dangerous traffic at Lincoln Tunnel and West Side Highway. Every morning, carriage drivers goes up 10th Av to get to stable, and go back via 9th Av. Some carriage drivers illegaly pickup in Times Sq even thought it’s law by NYC Health Mental Hygeine Department and ASCPA law.
agree completely with this and comments below. Sometimes I take the M5 up 6th avenue after work and the way the pedicabs break the laws/ride in the bus lanes and shout at whoever irritates them make them truly a nuisance to get rid of asap. I’ve seen bus drivers, through no fault of their own, nearly hit these reckless “bikers” and you can see the stress on their faces after these near collisions.
Pedicabs… for one, I’d be super happy to get rid of them. They just yell at people down 5th/6th Aves (in the 30s and 40s), ride in the bus lanes and add to traffic issues.
Pedicabs also ride on the pedestrian/runners lane in the park, sometimes going the wrong way, and I have even seen them text on the job while doing this.
That being said, I think it obscene that tax payers would have to fund the stables in the park. The developers what will tear down the current stables should pay for them instead!
Most of the times I see those horses they look in such decrepit and sad mood that I often think it may be better to get rid of them altogether. What’s the guarantee that the horses will be treated better under these new conditions?
Why doesn’t he just come out and say tourists aren’t welcome altogether? I love seeing the smiles of visitors during their horse & carriage rides. It’s a fun thing to do with out-of-town guests and the kids love them. I also like pedicabs – they add to the hustle-bustle of our town, and they’re great to hop in for an occasional open-air ride. It’s upsetting that this all may end. This mayor is a city-killer.
You suck De Blasio! There are better things to do with $20 million.
You are the worst mayor. There are better things to do with$20 million. Let the current system be as it is. You suck big time.
For or against the carriages, I just can’t get over the $20 million dollar price tag to build stables. That’s just absurd.
It is all about $$$$. The mayor doesn’t care about the animals. Every year 150.000 american horses go to Mexico and Canada to sloughter houses…The future of 100 more (and the people that take care of them)doesn’t affect his dirty consience. Never had a pet, dosn’t remember last time he visited CPark…I cannot trust a deal made by someone who want eliminate them forever!!!
The Mayor is more concerned about the safety and humanity of our horses (yes humanity) than he is about our citizens! Another wonderful Manhattan artist/educator died on these streets in another senseless traffic accident on 96th Street, soon to be renamed “danger zone”. Would that the concerns for the citizen were as great as our carriage horses and our developers! I love our carriage horses and have since I was a child. They are a treasured part of the romance of NY-much of which has disappeared over the last 20 years. Yes, they should be well cared for-but they are a lovely part of this city’s history. And the ONLY reason this has been such an outsized issue is because of the big dollars this Mayor received from both the animal welfare group and REBNY. And the animal welfare group is peanuts compared to what deBlasio has taken from real estate who want the stables for more luxury condos!!! It’s revolting that this progressive Mayor who many of us voted for as the Un-Bloomberg, has out Bloomberged Bloomberg!!! He is a one term Mayor and sad to say, a sell-out! Tell the City Council what you think-don’t let it stop here.
His approval rating is climbing back above %50 and he told the NYPD to behave themselves or else. He will get elected a second term, the horses were in horrible shape because the carriage drivers cared more about a salary than their horses wellbeing. The carriage drivers made their own bed, they can lie in it. I’m sure not all were cruel but stories about overworked horses on days way above the legal temperatures to work were horrible. Not to mention they would edit paperwork for horses too old to work so it said they were much younger than they were. I have no sympathy for any of the carriage drivers. The pedicabs were just hustlers like everyone else in Manhattan, there is nothing “family” about this city. Glad to see them go.
Perhaps someone can enlighten me re this issue. Are the $25M stables to be built in Central Park. If that is correct how is the comment re developers building condos in Central Park relevant. I’m confused. Are there plans to build residential housing in CP? My own view is that there wasn’t a problem pre-DeBlasio. As far as pedicabs I think they are a black mark on the city and look about as safe as crossing Bwdy/96th.
No. The current Stables are not in the Park. The Mayor proposes to building new Stables in CP. Nothing is mentioned about replacing the old stable with a Condo or Super Tall Tower, but given his earned reputation it does seem logical.
Leave well enough alone, the Pedi-Cabs should be allowed on street anywhere in the City except for the Park. Horse and Carriage should be left alone except that there should be severe penalties for Drivers that do not take good care of their Horses.
Bicycles should be enforced to stay within Bike Lanes and CP should have a designated Bike Lane well separated from Walkers, perhaps on the Bridal Path instead of CP Drive.
Bicycle drivers must be enforced with abiding the law, the same as drivers of motor vehicles.
de Blasio must enforce the laws and that includes penalties for littering.
I am not a big fan of the horses in Central Park. The excrement makes quite a mess.
Additionally, why are NYC taxpayers having to pay $20 million for a new stable? What a waste of money.
Do we really need horse stables in Central Park….How about leaving the park as is, as a nice place to relax and enjoy nature for city dwellers.
Horse carriages are not native to Central Park and especially since no one cleans up the droppings and urine below 72nd St. The smell is revolting in front of Bethesda Terrace where the horses piss right in front of. It makes me sick to think this beautiful place in Central Park that tourists flock to see has such a stench.
i’m all for tourist revenue but this is just a matter of things being too crowded in the park and a disgusting sanitary practice.
and honestly, Pedicab drivers should be allowed to operate, perhaps some more regulations regarding their behavior should be enacted to help tourists understand not to be taken advantage of.
Maybe horse-carriages were OK decades ago when there were fewer of them and less vehicular traffic, but now, given the increase in traffic, IMO the horse-carriages are a menace to the horses and a danger in traffic.I believe they should be phased out altogether.
Pedicabs appeared on the scene during the Bloomberg Administration and it appears little effort was made by Bloomberg to regulate them. Pedicabs have multiplied like Tribbles.
IMO pedicabs are incredibly dangerous and the pedicab drivers incredibly irresponsible. As just two examples, check out Sixth Avenue and 34th Street or Sixth Avenue 57-59th Street. Pedicabs block bus traffic, they park at hydrants and bus stops. IMO pedicabs should be banned altogether. Tourists should be able to get around by walking,bus or subway.
I think this whole died a quick death on Friday