Several celebrities are lending their voices to garner support for a Council bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages.
Tim Gunn, Anjelica Huston, Russell Simmons and Edie Falco will be part of a bus shelter advertising campaign where they urge specific council members who are undecided about the legislation to sign on. The ads, which are paid for by PETA and the coalition that has been working to ban the carriages, feature a large image of a horse that died in Manhattan three years ago, with an inset picture of the celebrity and their quote.
“It’s surprising to me that a city known for its progressive spirit still allows this cruel and dangerous tourist trap. Dozens of accidents over the past few years highlight the immense safety hazard and lack of regulation of this industry,” Huston is quoted as saying in her ad.
The images will roll out starting this week and target council members such as Corey Johnson, Ben Kallos and James Vacca. Representatives for the elected officials didn’t return messages for comment by press time.
Last week, Councilman Danny Dromm introduced a bill that would ban the carriages and offer some of the 300 carriage operators green taxi medallions. Mayor Bill de Blasio backs the bill, but the AFL-CIO, which represents the drivers, is in opposition.
