Oxford Street To Be Pedestrianised by 2020

James Drury
By James Drury Last edited 92 months ago

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Oxford Street To Be Pedestrianised by 2020
The end of traffic on Oxford Street is coming. Photo by David Bank from the Londonist Flickr pool.

Oxford Street is to be pedestrianised by 2020, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has promised.

The move is a bid to improve air quality in the capital — Oxford Street is one of London's most polluted roads.

Every week over 4 million people visit the thoroughfare, which is closed to cars from 7am-7pm every day except Sundays.

It has not only a reputation for poor air quality, but also a poor safety record — three of the most dangerous crossings in Britain are on that stretch of road.

Oxford Circus
Oxford Circus will be traffic-free by 2020. Photo by martinbaker76 from the Londonist Flickr pool.

The pedestrianisation will be carried out in two phases: first from the eastern section from Oxford Circus. Eventually it'll be closed to all traffic including buses and taxis from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch.

Banning vehicles from the capital's most famous shopping street isn't a new idea. Ken Livingstone first brought in pedestrian shopping days over Christmas in 2005; and it's been a major campaigning point for journalist and former mayoral hopeful Christian Wolmar for years.

Last Updated 19 July 2016