Part of Oxford Street to be pedestrianised for one day only in traffic experiment

Part of the western section of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised for one day only between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus on Sunday 21 September, as part of a demonstration of things-to-come for the shopping street under plans by the Mayor of London.

A “traffic-free event” will take place from 12noon until 8pm on Sunday but “bus routes in the area will be operating differently” from around 9pm on Saturday 20 September and until around 4am on Monday 22 September, says Transport for London (TfL).

The pedestrianisation trial will be confined to the western section of the street and it will give an indication of how buses, taxis and other vehicles will be diverted through neighbouring, residential streets, particularly Marylebone.

Passengers are advised to check before making journeys. Cycling will be banned on the closed part of the street.

Oxford Street will be closed to buses, and there will be road closures in the surrounding area for the event. These closures will run from 21:00 on Saturday 20 September until 04:00 on Monday 22 September.

Use public transport, walk or cycle to attend this event. Riding cycles and e-scooters in the event area is not allowed. Stewards will ask you to walk with your cycle or scooter.

For more travel information see: This is Oxford Street event.

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan intends to ultimately pedestrianise the whole of Oxford Street from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road but he says it will be done in three separate phases over several years. Cycling along the street will also be banned.

Detailed traffic and highway proposals for the first phase are being developed to pedestrianise the section of road between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, and are to be revealed in a public consultation to be held later this year.

The consultation is expected to provide a scheme of how buses, taxis and other motor vehicles will be diverted and what, if any, arrangements are being made to enable safe cycling through the area.

Two design teams to be appointed in September will work on the Mayor’s plans to transform the entire street.

“One of the appointed teams will lead the design of the first phase of the Oxford Street Transformation Programme between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. The role of the second design team will be to prepare a Whole Street Concept Design for the full length of Oxford Street from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road,” states City Hall.

The Mayor is creating a development corporation to regenerate the area and is working with the government to get it established by 1 January 2026. It will have full planning powers and include streets around Oxford Street, including a large part of Fitzrovia south of Goodge Street.

Khan has written to Westminster City Council to initiate bringing Oxford Street — from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road — under the control of TfL as the highway authority.

The Mayor will continue working closely with Westminster Council and other partners to develop traffic and highways proposals for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, says City Hall.

Diverting buses and taxis into the surrounding streets has been strongly opposed by residents’ groups in neighbourhoods surrounding the shopping street.

Westminster Council does not believe a development corporation or pedestrianisation is necessary to realise the transformation of Oxford Street.

“With the existing governance arrangements, Westminster had already brought forward an Oxford Street Programme that met the challenges (which the GLA correctly identifies) in the public realm, traffic conditions, and the local economy — while taking into consideration the concerns and needs of those in the wider community. This programme was extensively consulted on and had consensus support across all stakeholders, including residents, businesses, TfL, and the GLA,” said Westminster Council in May.

Westminster Council says it will work collaboratively with the Mayor in order “to ensure any scheme can be made to work in practice and addresses the needs of Oxford Street’s businesses, Westminster’s residents, and visitors to the street”.

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