In a bid to tackle air pollution and pedestrian safety, London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced plans to completely pedestrianise the popular shopping destination, Oxford Street, by the year 2020.
The 1.9km (1.2 mi) street is visited by over four million people every week. Around 270 buses drive along the street every hour, with 15,000 taxi passengers being picked up or dropped off near the many popular retail destinations. Between January 2012 and September 2015, a pedestrian was involved in a collision with a vehicle approximately once a week. In an effort to reduce disruption, cars are already banned on most of Oxford Street between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays.
The London Assembly Transport Committee is investigating the issues facing Oxford Street and the surrounding area, and identify the implications for road users and retailers.
Joe Irvin, Chief Executive of Living Street, believes that pedestrianising Oxford Street will make it “an economically viable modern high street.”
Lucy Musgrave, Director of Publica Urban Design, states, “Part of the vision for Oxford Street is to turn what is, at the moment, functioning as a corridor of retail activity and an important transport corridor. We can literally turn the street inside out so it’s operating as a fully functioning piece of the city. A district, rather than just a street.”
