London’s iconic Oxford Street is finally being pedestrianised next week, and a lot of things along the shopping street are going to change.
Cars, buses, taxis and bicycles will all disappear from Oxford Street from tomorrow, October 26, as a one-kilometer stretch of the famous road will go vehicle-free in the initial step, known as the ‘transition phase’.
The first phase, green-lit in February, is due to be completed by spring 2027, and won’t simply involve removing vehicles from the road.
So what is actually changing under the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street? Let’s take a look.
How much of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised?
In the first phase, vehicles will be banned from Oxford Street between Orchard Street – where Selfridges is – and Great Portland Street, which is just east of Oxford Circus Underground Station.
The pedestrianisation includes Oxford Circus itself, where Oxford Street intersects with the busy but wider Regent Street.
All cars except emergency services and delivery trucks between 7am and midnight will be banned, and all bus services will be re-routed around Oxford Street.
E-bikes and e-scooters will not be allowed through the new pedestrianised section, TfL has confirmed, with new cycleways under development.
However, cars will still be able to cross Oxford Street at certain points, including on Duke Street, Davies Street/Stratford Place, Holles Street, and New Bond Street/Vere Street, with all junctions but Davies Street/Stratford Place one-way.
What else is happening to the pedestrianised area?
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TfL has confirmed plans to raise the height of Oxford Street’s road to meet the pavement.
Two sections of road, between Orchard Street and Duke Street and Old Cavendish Street and Holles Street, aim to be completed by spring 2027, with other sections to follow.
What transport upgrades are happening in London?
London and its gigantic transportation network, which includes the Tube, London Overground, and National Rail lines, is always changing. These are all of the transport upgrades happening in the capital right now:
- South Kensington Tube station is undergoing an extensive £120,000,000 upgrade to tackle overcrowding and improve accessibility.
- London’s Liverpool Street station is about to undergo a major £1,200,000,000 upgrade, which sees a revamp of the entire building to ‘future-proof’ it for the estimated 200,000,000 passengers expected in the decades ahead.
- Consultation is ongoing for a new London Overground train line in west London, running between Hendon and Hounslow.
- London’s Euston station is getting a major £50,000,000 upgrade that will change platform announcements, improve the current assisted travel lounge, and add new seating on the upstairs balcony.
Meanwhile, around 50 new trees and more than 100 new seats will be installed along the pedestrianised area. Two new public squares will also be created, although their exact locations have yet to be revealed.
TfL is also considering installing a new water feature in the pedestrianised area, but details have not yet been confirmed.
How are buses affected?
Several different bus routes currently run through Oxford Street day and night, and all of them will be re-routed to avoid the pedestrianised area.
According to plans published by TfL, bus routes will be amended for the pedestrianisation and will use new bus stops on Wigmore Street, Henrietta Place, and Cavendish Place.
Bus routes 7, 94, 98, 139, 390, N7, N98, N113, N137, and N207 will all be redirected down Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place at the rear of John Lewis.
Buses will then rejoin Oxford Street at Great Titchfield Street on the other side of Oxford Circus, with the exception of bus route 139, which will continue its route on Regent Street.
Passengers will need to walk an additional distance of 100 to 200 meters to the new bus stops, and staff will be deployed near bus stops and on Oxford Street to help people.