Overhaul of Europe’s busiest shopping street to start this autumn
Almost 1km of London’s Oxford Street could be pedestrianised from September following Sadiq Khan’s decision to grant final approval for the project.
The London mayor has instructed Transport for London (TfL) to begin work to remove traffic from a 925m stretch of Europe’s busiest shopping street from Orchard Street in the west to Great Portland Street in the east.
A further transformation of the street designed by Hawkins Brown and East, which were both appointed by Khan last year, will start once the street has been pedestrianised, according to City Hall.
The overhaul will see all private vehicles, buses, taxis, cycles, scooters and pedicabs banned from this part of the road, with service and delivery vehicles allowed access between midnight and 7am.
Khan 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.”
He added: “We will outline more details in the coming days, as we continue building a better more prosperous London for everyone.”
The mayor’s move follows the conclusion of a second consultation on the plans which closed last month after receiving a total of 2,396 responses.
Just over a third of respondents to the consultation, excluding those who were part of a campaign, expressed support for the proposals, while a quarter opposed the plan.
The most frequently raised concern was the risk of increased traffic congestion on roads adjacent to Oxford Street, followed by the potential loss of access for people with disabilities and people who are not able to walk long distances.
Plans to reroute bus services to nearby streets received a more balanced response, with 18.2% supporting and 15.1% opposing, excluding respondents who were part of a campaign.
The scheme will include new bus shelters along Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place, with City Hall promising journey times will be increased by less than a minute.
A total of 755 responses were identified as being part of a campaign, with 531 associated with the London Cycling campaign, which wanted alternative cycling routes to Oxford Street, and 224 part of a campaign calling for continued use of zero emission Routemaster buses on the street.
No comments yet