A roughly one-kilometre stretch of Oxford Street, one of London's busiest shopping destinations, has been closed to vehicle traffic under Mayor Sadiq Khan's £150 million pedestrianisation project. The closure covers the section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
According to reports citing the Daily Mail, cars, buses, taxis, bicycles and scooters are now barred from the section. Emergency vehicles will retain access at all times, while deliveries will be permitted between midnight and 7am. Public transport services that used the route have been diverted to nearby alternatives.
The project aims to reduce traffic and air pollution and give visitors a safer place to shop. Khan argued that Oxford Street had been in decline for around 20 years and said pedestrianisation would help revive the area, support economic growth, create jobs and turn the street into a greener, more vibrant public space. Visited by around 500,000 people a day and generating £3 billion in annual spending, the street is intended to rival New York's Times Square and the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Other reports put annual visitor numbers at more than 300 million. The plan has the backing of several major retailers and business groups.
The move has also drawn criticism. Michael Bolt of the Marylebone Association warned that traffic would be pushed into surrounding narrow streets, with Wigmore Street in particular facing serious pressure. Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster City Council, raised concerns about the impact on residents, saying questions remained over transport access, air pollution, street cleaning and public safety.
In the first phase, only limited construction work will take place in the coming weeks to minimise disruption during the Christmas shopping season. By late spring 2027, more than 50 trees are to be planted, two new public squares created, wayfinding signage improved and over 100 new seats, dining tables and lighting features installed.
Officials say the effects will be monitored during the transition and arrangements refined based on feedback from residents, businesses and accessibility groups. In the longer term, the aim is to pedestrianise the entire 1.9-kilometre length of Oxford Street.
