CHICAGO — The City Council voted Friday to ban horse-drawn carriages in Chicago by the end of the year.

The ordinance was first approved by the Committee on License and Consumer Protection in March. Operators will no longer be allowed to renew their licenses and the city will no longer issue new ones at the end of the year.

The carriages have a been familiar sight on Michigan Avenue and around the Loop, but have drawn the ire of animal rights activists for years.

Other cities that have banned horse-drawn carriages include: Biloxi, Mississippi; Camden, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at least seven cities in Florida.