I was at the doctor's office waiting room with my girlfriend this morning and I was reading an article in Car and Driver magazine about how New York City's mayor, Bill de Blasio, would like to get ride of the 300-some horses that pull carriages for intimate tours of the city. In place of the horses, the city proposes to use 1920s style motor carriages. The vintage style of the motor couch is supposed to keep the nostalgic feel for the passenger, but will also require less financial up-keep.
A survey of passengers suggests the horse-drawn carriages offer a more "romantic" glimpse of the city, and due to the well-trained horses, the driver of the horse carriage can actually interact more with the passengers. The horses are kept on a schedule of one month of work followed by three months of free roaming on a large pasture. If a move was made from horses to motors, the city promised that every currently licensed, employed carriage driver would be guaranteed a motor coach in place of the horse carriage.
One group that is making a big push for a move from animal power to motor power is the large number of animal rights activists that voted for Mayor de Blasio. A push in the opposite direction comes from tourist agencies that argue visitors to New York City enjoy the trademark horse drawn carriage tours, especially through Central Park.
As of now, the horse-drawn carriages are still in use. There are motor coaches that provides tours as well, but the horses still remain more popular- even in the winter. Sorry for the weak citation, I honestly didn't think about posting this blog until right now.
Car and Drive Magazine in a random doctor's office waiting room. (Now that's a graduate level citation right there)
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