Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

NY DAILY NEWS   
3/4/08

Gridlock Sam  - Sam Schwartz    
Gridlock Sam is a column in the NY Daily news written by Sam Schwartz. It addresses traffic issues in New York City. On March 4th, the column addressed the carriage horse issue in the form of a letter "from the mailbag."

Dear Gridlock Sam: One of the obvious ways to alleviate traffic congestion has been overlooked: removing the slow-moving, lane-clogging horse-drawn carriages from the streets of mid-town Manhattan. The carriages are stationed on 59th St. and travel to and from the stables, which are located on the West Side from 37th to 52nd Sts. Not only do the carriages slow the flow of cars and buses, but they also get in the way of emergency vehicles. In fact, paramedics in midtown complain that carriages impede their response to emergencies. Carriage drivers are not subject to the same traffic laws as motor vehicles. They can make u-turns and go through red lights, both of which create havoc on the streets and threaten the safety of pedestrians, passengers in other vehicles and the horses, who have on many occasions been hit by cars. In highly congested urban areas, horse-drawn carriages and cars don't mix, which is why cities like London, Paris and Toronto and Beijing have taken them off the streets. Steve.

Dear Steve: This is the first I have heard of other major cities banning horse-drawn carriages. I have mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, they add to the romance of the Big Apple, especially in Central Park. On the other, they do, at times, cause traffic problems, as you point out. If I had a third hand, I'd add the concern people have for the treatment of the horses. I'm sure there are other opinions out there, and you'll be hearing from them. I'm also checking with the NYPD; I think carriage drivers are supposed to follow general traffic rules. Gridlock Sam

To honor
Bobby II Freedom
previously known as Billy
ID# 2873 rescued by the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and Equine Advocates on June 25, 2010 from the New Holland auctions.

In memory of
Lilly Rose O'Reilly
previously known
as Dada ID# 2711
R.I.P.August, 2007