Nearly 0.6 miles of Oxford Street will become vehicle-free from 7am on 26 October as part of a £150m government-backed scheme to pedestrianise a stretch of London's most famous shopping street. The closure, which extends from the junction with Orchard Street near Marble Arch to Great Portland Street east of Oxford Circus, will apply between 7am and midnight every day of the week. All motorised traffic will be banned, including buses, black cabs and bicycles, alongside the private cars that have already been prohibited since 7am to 7pm for years. The new restrictions represent a significant expansion of existing rules, extending the vehicle ban to 24 hours a day seven days a week across all transport types.
The scheme marks a political victory for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has pursued pedestrianisation as part of his clean air strategy throughout his tenure. Central government backing helped override local council objections to the plan. About half of the 1.2 mile street will initially become vehicle-free following decades of planning and disputes over how best to use the street, which functions both as an important transport route and home to flagship stores for major shopping chains. Vehicles will still be able to cross the pedestrianised section at several points, including the major junction of Regent Street and Oxford Circus, and other locations including New Bond Street.
Bus routes including numbers 7, 98 and 390 will be rerouted along Wigmore Street, which runs parallel to Oxford Street. Taxi ranks will be positioned within 100m of the traffic-free area on surrounding roads. Mobility scooters will continue to be permitted, and access for disabled people may be easier than in many other parts of London, with Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road stations both offering step-free access via the Underground and Elizabeth line. Emergency services will retain access to the entire area via cross streets whenever required.
Businesses will be able to make deliveries outside the 7am to midnight operating hours through designated access routes, though vehicles cannot travel the full length of Oxford Street. Cargo e-bikes will be introduced to collect litter and enable street cleaning during pedestrianised hours. Khan has outlined plans for Oxford Street to become a public plaza with outdoor dining. Early next year, more trees and seating are scheduled for installation, with the road surface raised level with pavements in places to create public squares and event spaces.
The scheme has drawn international attention due to Oxford Street's scale and prominence as a shopping destination attracting millions of foreign visitors annually. London has studied pedestrianisation efforts in central Sydney and discussed the approach with Barcelona, where La Rambla has undergone similar transformation. The pedestrianisation has been repeatedly described as the first phase, though plans for the remainder of the street will likely depend on how successful this initial scheme proves to be.