Sadiq Khan has revealed how soon you’ll be able to take a casual stroll down Europe’s busiest shopping street.
Cars, buses, taxis and bicycles will all disappear from Oxford Street by October 26, as the London Mayor pushes through his flagship project to transform the thoroughfare.
A one-kilometre stretch of the street will go vehicle-free in the initial step, known as the ‘transition phase’, after being green-lit in February.
While the road has previously been pedestrianised temporarily as part of trials, this will be the first time such a change will be permanent.
Lord Khan said: ‘Following strong support from Londoners and businesses, I’m excited to see my bold vision for Oxford Street really coming to life next month as we start going traffic-free, just in time for the busy Christmas shopping period.’
But how will it be done?
How much of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised?
In the initial phase, vehicles will be banished from the entire section between Selfridges near the Marble Arch end and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus.
This includes Oxford Circus itself, where Oxford Street intersects with the also busy but wider Regent Street.
Not only will cars be banned from traversing the shopping thoroughfare, but the street’s ten bus lines will also be re-routed to avoid the section.
There will be some exceptions – emergency services will continue to have access to all areas of the street.
Servicing vehicles such as delivery trucks will be allowed entry between midnight and 7am.
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Push bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters will not be allowed through the new pedestrianised section, TfL has confirmed, with new cycleways under development.
Cars will still be able to cross Oxford Street at certain points, including on Duke Street, Davies Street and New Bond Street, although some junctions will be one-way.
Pedestrianised sections of Oxford Street will also be revamped with new planters and seating areas to replace the traffic lanes.
The Greater London Authority says the scheme could generate up to £40million in VAT receipts, as well as £20million extra in business rates.
When will Oxford Street be pedestrianised?
Lord Khan said: ‘I’m delighted that on 26 October the transformation of the nation’s high street into a pedestrian plaza will begin in earnest – a world-class space where flagship retail will sit alongside next-generation workplaces, designed to host exciting retail and leisure experiences from sport to fashion and cultural events in the future’
The Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC), led by a board of both political figures and business leaders, wants the road to be vehicle-free by the end of October.
Before that can happen, TfL needs to carry out street improvements and realignments, including changing the direction of traffic on some roads and relocating bus stops.
However, this first step will be the ‘transition phase’ to iron out any potential problems, as the long-term future of Britain’s busiest high street is considered.
Following resistance from residents and Westminster City Council, the Mayor of London placed control of the new programme in the hands of the OSDC.
Last month, the OSDC took control of planning. All applications, from redevelopments to store frontage changes, will now be considered by the authority instead of the council.
On its website, the OSDC promises a ‘leaner, greener Oxford Street with spaces for events, rest and relaxation and activations as well as retail’.
As well as the new public realm created by the pedestrianisation, the project is slated to establish two new public squares, although their exact locations have yet to be revealed.
During the initial testing phase, visitors and businesses will be asked to give feedback until the changes are made permanent in 2027.
How are buses affected?
Ten different bus routes currently run through Oxford Street day and night; however, all will be re-routed to avoid the pedestrianised area.
According to plans published by TfL, numbers 7, 94, 98, 139 and 390, as well as N7, N98, N113, N137, N207 will all be redirected down Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place at the rear of John Lewis.
Buses will rejoin Oxford Street at Great Titchfield Street on the other side of Oxford Circus, with the exception of no 139, which will continue its route on Regent Street.
Passengers will need to walk an additional distance of around 100 to 200 metres to the new bus stops.
The pedestrianisation has its opponents, namely the now Conservative-led council, which believes the plans will increase pollution in the surrounding areas and create traffic bottlenecks elsewhere.
Councillor Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster City Council, has criticised the plans. He said: ‘While we finally now have a timetable for the proposed pedestrianisation, Westminster City Council, residents and businesses on Oxford Street still have a long list of unanswered questions about how it will work.
‘If this is going to be the “greener, better and more prosperous” success that the Mayor has promised, then issues around access, air pollution, street cleaning and public safety, need answers urgently.’
‘Right now there’s a danger that we will have all of the downsides and too little upside. Traffic will be pushed to the small streets nearby causing economic and environmental harm.
‘We are writing to the Oxford Street Development Corporation with our serious concerns now it is obvious the Mayor is rushing preparations with little time left.’
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