DOWNTOWN : Olvera Street May Get Horse Carriages

The gentle, old-time sophistication of horse-drawn carriages may grace the streets surrounding Downtown’s historic Olvera Street under a proposal by the commissioners of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

Under the plan, two wooden horse-drawn carriages would offer 30-minute rides from the plaza to Little Tokyo, the Civic Center, Union Station and back. The commissioners are expected to approve a 90-day pilot program at their May 11 meeting, and would decide in August whether to continue the rides.

The carriage rides would be the only licensed ones offered in Los Angeles, according to city officials. In past years, such rides were available for a short time in Hollywood.

“It’s a very nice way of traveling in terms of a tourist’s point of view,” said Andres Topacio, a member of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority Commission. “It fits the atmosphere and the environment of El Pueblo, and it adds color.”

Frank Catania, acting general manager of the historical monument, said the continuation of the Olvera Street rides will depend on how many people use them.

The carriage rides will be offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Beginning in July, a horse-drawn trolley, which can carry 26 passengers, will be added. Passengers would pay $25 for two adults, and $1 for each child. The Carriage Company would be required to pay the city a $50 monthly fee in return.

Catania said the owner of Carriage Company, which runs similar rides in Pasadena, approached the commission with the idea.

The rides were scheduled to begin April 16, but the commission postponed a vote April 13 because the company owner had yet to obtain a vehicle permit from the city’s Department of Transportation.

Ann Erdman, a Pasadena city spokeswoman, said the horse-drawn carriage rides in the city’s Old Pasadena district have been successful. The retail, restaurant and theater area draws 100,000 visitors each weekend, Erdman said.

The carriages “lend a sense of romance and history to an area that is known for its historical relevance,” Erdman said.

On a busy night, about 14 carriage rides are sold, said Maureen Blatt, owner of the Carriage Company.

Drivers of the horse-drawn carriages on Olvera Street would wear white shirts with multicolored embroidery, black trousers, a red sash and a straw hat. The carriages will be drawn by horses trained to deal with traffic, Blatt said.

“They are all aged horses, which means they are mature and well-trained,” Blatt said. Catania said the seven-member commission, which was created last year, is focusing on developing ways to bring more visitors to the area. Those plans have included the installation of white, decorative lights and the hiring of outside promoters to organize three-day Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence celebrations.

“All of the Downtown tourist attractions, in the last few years because of the economy and the catastrophic things happening in Los Angeles, are suffering a bit,” Catania said. “There are fewer people Downtown, especially after dark.”