Photo by Phil Wiffen
Horse-drawn carriage rides have been an attraction in Central Park for many years, but an activist group is pushing to replace them with electric cars that recall another bygone era: the Roaring Twenties.
Exotic car designer Jason Wenig is working with New Yorkers for Safe, Clean and Livable Streets (NYCLASS) to build a $450,000 prototype of the horseless carriage. If the pilot project goes forward, the car could arrive in Central Park within a year.
“Passengers will feel like they are being transformed into the ‘Great Gatsby’ era in a modern car,” said Allie Feldman, an organizer for NYClass.
The ultimate goal, according to the advocacy group, is to completely eliminate the use of horse-drawn carriages in the city—a practice they say is inhumane, pointing to the animals’ long work hours and lack of pasture time.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has voiced opposition to the idea, saying the Central Park Conservancy had concerns about the project.
