Oxford Street begins £150m vehicle-free scheme on 26 October
A nearly 0.6-mile stretch of London's Oxford Street became vehicle-free from 7am on 26 October under a £150m government-backed pedestrianisation scheme.
The story in focus
The Guardian reports that a nearly 0.6-mile stretch of London's Oxford Street became vehicle-free from 7am on 26 October under a £150m government-backed scheme. All motorised traffic, bicycles and e-scooters are barred between 7am and midnight daily, with buses rerouted and deliveries allowed outside those hours.
- The vehicle-free zone runs from the Orchard Street junction near Marble Arch to Great Portland Street.
- All motorised traffic, including buses and black cabs, plus bicycles and e-scooters, is barred from 7am to midnight daily.
- Bus routes 7, 98 and 390 now run along Wigmore Street, which runs parallel to Oxford Street.
- Businesses can make deliveries outside pedestrianised hours via certain access routes.
- The closure is described as the first phase, with the wider project dependent on how the scheme performs.
What is changing
A stretch of nearly 0.6 miles (almost 1km) of Oxford Street, containing department stores including John Lewis and Selfridges, became vehicle-free from 7am on 26 October. The closed section runs from the junction with Orchard Street, near Marble Arch, to Great Portland Street, east of the Oxford Circus Ikea, and operates between 7am and midnight every day.
Private cars were already barred between 7am and 7pm; that ban now covers all motorised traffic, including buses and black cabs, as well as bicycles and e-scooters. Vehicles can still cross the pedestrianised stretch at several points, including Regent Street, Oxford Circus and New Bond Street.
Transport and access
Bus routes 7, 98 and 390 have been rerouted along Wigmore Street, which runs parallel to Oxford Street. Taxi ranks are located within 100m of the traffic-free area on Oxford Street and surrounding roads. Businesses can make deliveries outside pedestrianised hours via certain access routes, but vehicles cannot travel the length of Oxford Street.
Mobility scooters remain allowed. Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road stations, on the Underground and Elizabeth line, are step-free. Emergency services can access the entire area via cross streets, and cargo e-bikes are to be introduced for litter collection and street cleaning during pedestrianised hours.
What comes next
The Guardian reports the closure is described as the first phase, with the outcome of the wider project dependent on how the scheme performs. Early next year, more trees and seating are due to be installed, and the road surface will be raised level with pavements in places to create public squares and event spaces.
Which bus routes have been rerouted because of the Oxford Street pedestrianisation?
Bus routes 7, 98 and 390 now run along Wigmore Street, which runs parallel to Oxford Street, according to The Guardian.
Sources & further reading
Help keep the record accurate. Send a correction.
