NYCLASS 39 Broadway New York, NY 10006 www.nyclass.org, Phone: (212) 626-6991

RUBENSTEIN PUBLIC RELATIONS Dara Busch, 212.843.8079 [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NYCLASS SIGNS CONTRACT TO BUILD ELECTRIC VINTAGE REPLICA CAR TO REPLACE HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYC

Awaiting City Council Approval to Commence Program

New York, NY – NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) today announced that it has signed a contract with The Creative Workshop to begin production of the first ever prototype of the “Horseless Carriage” - an all-electric vintage replica car that will revamp the carriage industry, bringing it into the 21st century by replacing the abused carriage horses. The signed contract to build an electric “Horseless Carriage” prototype is the first step in the right direction.

Jason Wenig and The Creative Workshop, a world-renowned automotive restoration and customization firm, will be designing and producing the new car. Wenig, a New York native and animal lover, is combining his automotive design expertise with innovative techniques to create this new prototype, adding old Hollywood romance in order to save the abused horses.

“Even though passengers will feel like they are being transmitted to the Gatsby era, the electric car will have cutting edge battery and EV technology and many ergonomic and safety features not found on the horse-drawn carriages or the original cars for that matter,” Jason Wenig, founder and president of The Creative Workshop said. “Not to mention, it can hold more passengers than the carriages and is outfitted and amenable to all types of weather.”

Congressman Jerrold Nadler has also voiced his support of the modern alternative: “When NYCLASS approached me last year to help with its cause, I was more than happy to lend a hand,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10). “As a resident of ’s Upper West Side and an animal lover, I have seen the poor, overworked carriage horses for years and wanted to provide relief for the animals.”

NYCLASS, a 501(c)4 non-profit animal welfare and advocacy organization committed to improving the quality of life for animals and residents in New York City, has been working on a pilot program to eliminate one of the largest instances of animal cruelty and replace it with a safer, modern, humane and economical alternative.

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The organization has gained support from a broad coalition, including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, Miley Cyrus, , , Kate Winslet, Bo Derek, Debra Messing, and more, in completing their mission. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition in support of replacing the horses with cars.

The organization is pushing the New York City Council to allow NYCLASS to run a pilot program in Central Park, at no cost to the city. The pilot program will run one Horseless Carriage prototype concurrent to the carriage route and will provide the opportunity for carriage drivers, animal advocates, elected officials and passengers to test and prove the economic viability of the electric car.

A full fleet of the vintage cars lined up on Central Park South, in front of the Plaza Hotel, will also make tourists and residents feel the allure of an old Hollywood s, adding to New York City tourism. According to a study by Sam Schwartz Engineering, a full fleet of the cars is projected to generate $33 million for the city, as compared to $19 million generated by the horse-drawn carriages.

Not only will the full fleet of cars increase revenue for New York City, it will also be safer for passengers. Twenty percent of the medallions in the carriage industry have been involved in an accident, a percentage of epidemic standards. The carriages, which can crash and break instantly, injuring the driver and passengers, require few inspections and safety standards.

# # # About NYCLASS

NYCLASS is an animal advocacy organization committed to ending the inhumane practices of the NYC carriage horse industry. NYCLASS advocates for retiring the carriage horses to sanctuary, while modernizing the current industry with a clean and safe alternative to this outdated tradition - the 21st Century Horseless Carriage. Founded in 2008 by a coalition of prominent animal lovers and business leaders, NYCLASS has grown to over 100,000 supporters with activist chapters in all five boroughs. For more information, please visit www.nyclass.org

For more information about NYCLASS please visit our website wwwnyclass.org.

Facebook.com/stophorseabuse @nyclass