Almost a kilometre of Oxford Street between Orchard Street, near Selfridges, and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus, is closed to general traffic.
asserted
kilometre → close → traffic
Buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs are now diverted away from the stretch as the first phase of the long-awaited transformation gets under way.
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phase → divert → way
A plan years in the making
Plans to reduce traffic on Oxford Street are nothing new.
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Plans → reduce → Street
Successive London administrations have considered ways of reducing traffic and improving the public realm on the street, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan first proposed pedestrianising it as part of his 2016 mayoral programme.
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Khan → consider → programme
The idea was revived in September 2024, when Lord Khan announced plans for a much wider transformation of Oxford Street.
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Khan → revive → Street
Central to the new approach was the creation of a Mayoral Development Area and the Oxford Street Development Corporation, giving City Hall a much greater role in overseeing the regeneration of the street.
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giving → give → street
A public consultation followed in early 2025.
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consultation → follow → 2025
Of those who responded to the question on pedestrianisation, 66% supported the principle of making Oxford Street traffic-free.
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Street → respond → principle
Westminster City Council has previously raised concerns about displaced traffic and a potential increase in noise and pollution on surrounding streets.
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Council → raise → streets
Despite this, the mayor formally approved the traffic and highway changes needed for the first section of pedestrianisation on February 26 this year.
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mayor → approve → February
What does it mean?
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it → mean → What
The October closure marks the beginning of a phased transformation rather than the finished version of the new Oxford Street.
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closure → mark → Street
Temporary measures allow the Oxford Street Development Corporation and its partners to gather feedback and observe how pedestrians, businesses, residents and accessibility groups use the traffic-free space.
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pedestrians → allow → space
More substantial temporary public-realm improvements, including additional seating, planting and new public spaces, are then expected during 2027.
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improvements → include → 2027
Feedback and data gathered during this period will help shape the permanent design.
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Feedback → gather → design
Which part of Oxford Street is closed to traffic?
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part → close → traffic
The first phase covers almost one kilometre of Oxford Street between:
Western end: Orchard Street, close to Selfridges and Marble Arch.
Eastern end: Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus.
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phase → cover → Circus
The closure also does not mean every north-south road crossing Oxford Street is blocked.
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road → mean → Street
A number of north-south connections remain available, allowing traffic to cross the pedestrianised street at designated junctions.
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traffic → remain → junctions
North-south connections remain open on the following roads, bar during periods of short-term closure to allow construction works:
- Orchard Street / North Audley Street
- Duke Street
- Stratford Place / Davies Street
- Vere Street / New Bond Street
- Holies Street / Harewood Place
- Regent Street
- Great Portland Street
Will any vehicles still be allowed on Oxford Street?
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vehicles → remain → Street
Although the street is being described as traffic-free, it will not be completely inaccessible to vehicles.
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it → describe → vehicles
Emergency vehicles will have access at all times, while arrangements will also be made for essential services.
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arrangements → have → services
Businesses will continue to be serviced, with vehicle access permitted during designated overnight hours.
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access → continue → hours
Mobility scooters will also continue to be permitted access.
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scooters → continue → access
However, ordinary cars, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs are not allowed to travel along the pedestrianised section.
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cars → allow → section
Are buses allowed to use Oxford Street?
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buses → allow → Street
Buses stopped running between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street from the evening of Sunday, October 25.
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Buses → stop → Sunday
Services that currently use Oxford Street are instead diverted onto surrounding roads or otherwise altered.
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that → use → roads
TfL says some routes are serving new stops on streets including Wigmore Street, Henrietta Place and Cavendish Place.
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routes → say → Street
Passengers travelling through the West End are being advised to check their route before travelling once the changes begin.
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changes → travel → route
Tube and rail services will continue to operate as normal.
Can you cycle along the pedestrianised section?
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you → continue → section
Despite Oxford Street becoming pedestrianised, cyclists are not permitted to ride along the traffic-free stretch.
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cyclists → become → stretch
Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters are diverted onto surrounding streets along with other traffic.
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Bicycles → divert → traffic
The restriction is intended to create a predominantly pedestrian space rather than simply just a car-free road.
What happens next?
October's closure is only the first stage of a much bigger redevelopment.
The initial traffic-free period will allow authorities to test how the street works without through traffic and collect feedback from residents, visitors, businesses, workers and accessibility groups.
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street → intend → residents
Further seating, planting, public spaces and other temporary improvements will follow during 2027.
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seating → follow → 2027
Those measures will then inform the eventual permanent redesign of Oxford Street.
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measures → inform → Street
For now, though, October 26 marks a huge milestone in a debate stretching back to the early 1960s, when authorities first began exploring how pedestrians and vehicles could be separated on one of Britain’s busiest shopping streets.
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pedestrians → mark → streets
The Aporia
