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Dreams of a fully walkable Oxford Street are officially set to become a reality. No more being shoved off the pavement for near-misses with blaring pedicabs and lumbering double-deckers. Soon you’ll be able to saunter down the famous shopping street all the way from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been working towards a car-free Oxford Street since 2017. Sir Sadiq officially unveiled plans for pedestrianisation in 2024 and last September the shopping district went totally car-free for a day, with street food stalls and live music to boot.
Following two rounds of consultation, Khan gave pedestrianisation plans final approval yesterday (February 26). The plan will turn much of the iconic road into a walkable street, with vehicles banned and buses diverted. Additional cycle routes will be constructed around the shopping district.
The mayor said: ‘I am delighted to be moving forward with my bold vision to transform Oxford Street into a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events.’
When will Oxford Street go car-free?
Works will begin in the coming months and continue until late 2027. The BBC reports that vehicles could be banned from the street by September 2026.
What are Londoners reactions ?
Around 2,700 people responded to TfL’s traffic diversion consultation, with City Hall saying that a majority agreed to the plans. An initial consultation last summer showed that 63 percent of Londoners supported Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation.
The leader of Westminster Council, Adam Hug, said that the local authority has ‘secured a number of key improvements from the mayor of London's original plans to ensure that the proposals for Oxford Street are more deliverable and better meet the needs of local residents, businesses, and wider London.
‘These include ensuring that Oxford Street East transformation will be delivered in line with Westminster's previous plans that retain bus access, and the council's retention of strategic development funding.’
How will Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation affect public transport?
Sixteen buses will be rerouted because of the upcoming traffic ban, including bus routes 7, 94 and 98. All buses which currently serve Oxford Street will be redirected through Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place.
According to the proposal, TfL said there will be ‘less than a minute’ difference between journey times. You can read more about the public transport impact over here.
Have a peek at what a fully pedestrianised Oxford Street will look like.
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