Source » Axios Philadelphia | by Mike D’Onofrio
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania
Horses pulling carriages full of tourists in Center City could become a thing of the past.
What’s happening: The animal rights nonprofit Revolution Philadelphia and a pair of donors say they have a plan to usher in the use of electric carriages so that the horses can be retired.
- Josh Fox of the consulting firm Bottom Line Concepts and Eric Lerner tell Axios they’re offering to pay for electric carriage prototypes, which they expect to cost about $100,000 each, and potentially a future fleet.
- Fox and Lerner are part of The Brady Hunter Foundation, a nonprofit working to end animal cruelty.
Why it matters: Philly could be the first U.S. city to use electric carriages.
Plus: Horse-drawn carriages have been controversial, with one company closing down in 2017 over animal cruelty concerns and other violations.
Between the lines: A ban on horse-drawn carriages likely requires legislation and the approval of City Council and the mayor. City Councilman Mark Squilla backs replacing horses-drawn vehicles with e-carriages, spokesperson Anne Kelly tells Axios.
The big picture: The future of horse-drawn carriages was already in limbo.
Details: A street-ready prototype could be ready by summer’s end, Fox and Lerner say.
- The electric carriage design, by Alfonso Hernández Olmo, would look like the horse-drawn carriages that have been used in Philly.
- Fox, Lerner and Revolution Philadelphia recently met with Squilla.
Of note: Fox and Lerner are also looking to usher in the end of horse-drawn carriages in New York City and San Antonio. “We’re willing and ready to invest millions of dollars nationally in this movement,” Fox tells Axios.
What they’re saying: “The carriages will bring some innovation and something new and exciting to Philly tourism that we have never had before,” says Tiffany Stair, co-founder of Revolution Philadelphia, which has been advocating for years to ban horse-drawn carriages.
What’s next: Besides possible city legislation, horseless carriages would require approval from the State to ensure they are street legal.
The City would also need to figure out how they will license electric carriages and their operators.
Featured Image: A horse carriage near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. Wikimedia.
Tuesday’s Horse
Official Blog of The Fund for Horses
Tuesday's Horse 
Hmmmm…..horseless carriages you say?! What an innovating and TOTALLY original concept! I wonder why no one thought do do this sooner…..just imagine how different our lives would be if someone had this sort of idea, say back when the combustion engine was developed 😉
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HURRAH PHILLY!!!!!!! WAY TO GO. let’s all follow suit. the world would be a better place. KUDOS TO YOU. THE WORLD IS WATCHING
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