Oxford Street begins traffic-free transformation

From Monday 26 October, almost a kilometre of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised, from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street. Buses, taxis, bikes and other vehicles will be diverted onto nearby roads, which will be closely monitored to ensure traffic moves effectively while creating a greener, safer and more accessible Oxford Street.

This brings to life the Mayor of London’s bold vision for transforming the nation’s high street into a pedestrian plaza, just in time for its busiest Christmas shopping period.

This will be the start of a phased delivery programme, with minimal construction to avoid disruption, and open up Oxford Street in advance of the busy Christmas period. Once traffic is removed from Oxford Street, OSDC and partners will continue working on improvements including new seating and rest areas, trees and clear signage.

This first phase of changes to the public space has been designed to be temporary, so real-time feedback can be sought on how people use the space – including residents, accessibility groups, businesses, workers and other key stakeholders. This insight will then help shape the design of the permanent improvements and by the end of spring 2027, a transitional scheme will be in place.

For more information, please contact the OSDC press office on press@oxfordstreet.org.uk