NEW YORK, NY - New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) today urged CBS New York management to remove a page from its website that appears to promote the abusive and dangerous horse carriage industry in New York City.

New York, NY – At approximately 4:00pm this afternoon, a horse driving a carriage collapsed at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue. Carly Knudson, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets has released the following statement; 

New York, NY -- Today, at 2pm on the steps of City Hall, actress and humanitarian Kathy Najimy rallied with NYCLASS Executive Director Carly Knudson, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and dozens of supporters to announce the significant increase in support for legislation that aims to transition the horse-drawn carriage industry into "Horseless Carriages". With 55,000 signatures and counting, the petition calls for the City Council to pass Intro 86A to safely phase out the horses and introduce electric-powered vintage replica cars.

New York, NY - At 12:30 PM Monday on the steps of City Hall, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Council Members Melissa Mark-Viverito, Fernando Cabrera, Vincent Gentile, Sara Gonzalez, Letitia James, Rosie Mendez and Ydanis Rodriguez stood with the ASPCA and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) to address the concerns in New York City surrounding the carriage horse industry.

Early this evening at the intersection of 60th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, a carriage horse collapsed in the street. This is the second collapse in just 2 weeks. Attached here are short video clips of the carriage horse lying in the street. 

Upon the release of the necropsy results, NYCLASS is saddened to learn that Charlie, who collapsed on 54th Street on Sunday, October 23, 2011, had not been in good health for some time leading up to his passing.  We strongly urge again for the Department of Health to conduct a thorough investigation into the health and well being of New York City carriages horses, before another tragic incident occurs.  As indicated in the ASPCA report, "Charlie was not a healthy horse and was likely suffering from pain due to pronounced chronic ulceration of the stomach and a fractured tooth."

NEW YORK - On Sunday, October 23, the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was made aware of an incident during which a carriage horse heading to Central Park collapsed and died on the street. The draft horse, named Charlie and estimated to be 15 years old, was subsequently transported to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy.

In response to the Mayor’s comment regarding the horse carriage industry, NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) believes we have a better solution. 

New York, NY - Councilmember Vincent Gentile became the 14th Councilmember to sign onto Intro 86 in the ongoing effort to humanely retire New York City's carriage horses to sanctuaries.

New York, NY -- Today, at 11am in the Hippodrome building in Midtown Manhattan, New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) joined together with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to reveal a scale model of a fully electric vintage-replica car. Following the legislation Intro. 86, calling for a phase-out of horse carriages in New York City and replacing them with the 21st Century "Horseless Carriage", NYCLASS has been working with car maker Jason Wenig of The Creative Workshop to design and develop an ideal model to compliment the charm of Central Park. The proposed program for these cars will provide New York City with the ability to expand the tourist attraction in a humane capacity, as well as draw in new revenue. Authentically styled and constructed to replicate turn of the century cars, the design inspiration is fashioned from a 1909 style. The cars will be made to propel solely by electric power with lithium-Ion batteries, providing cutting edge, clean energy with up to 10 hours of drive time per charge.