Philip Marcelo.

Central Park’s iconic horse carriages will trot on, for now. A proposal to ban the popular tourist activity failed to clear a key New York City Council committee on Friday. The council’s Committee on Health voted against sending the bill to the full council for its consideration. The union representing industry workers applauded the panel for standing up for their members, many of whom are immigrants. Animal rights advocates who have long called for ending the industry derided the vote as a “sham.” The debate over the popular tourist draw was revived over the summer when a carriage horse collapsed and died near its stable.

New York City’s mayor has thrown his support behind a proposal to end the horse-drawn carriages that have been fixtures in Central Park for more than 150 years, citing safety concerns. Mayor Eric Adams also issued an executive order on Wednesday ordering police to “prioritize enforcement” against horse-drawn carriages operating outside their legally designated areas in order to illegally solicit fares or impede traffic or bike lanes. The Democrat’s comments come after the storied park’s overseers, the Central Park Conservancy, announced in August they were also backing a ban over safety concerts. Animal rights groups have long called for ending the industry.