From Monday, October 26, almost a kilometre of Oxford Street between Orchard Street, near Selfridges, and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus, will be closed to general traffic.
asserted
kilometre → close → traffic
Buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs will all be diverted away from the stretch as the first phase of the long-awaited transformation gets under way.
asserted
phase → divert → way
A plan years in the making
Plans to reduce traffic on Oxford Street are nothing new.
asserted
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.
asserted
Khan → consider → programme
The idea was revived in September 2024, when Lord Khan announced plans for a much wider transformation of Oxford Street.
asserted
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.
asserted
giving → give → street
A public consultation followed in early 2025.
asserted
consultation → follow → 2025
Of those who responded to the question on pedestrianisation, 66% supported the principle of making Oxford Street traffic-free.
asserted
Street → respond → principle
Westminster City Council has previously raised concerns about displaced traffic and a potential increase in noise and pollution on surrounding streets.
asserted
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.
asserted
mayor → approve → February
So, when will Oxford Street become pedestrianised?
asserted
Street → become → ?
The first section will become traffic-free on Monday, October 26 2026.
asserted
section → become → Monday
Work is already under way, with further road and bus changes beginning over the weekend of October 24 and 25.
asserted
changes → begin → October
Read More
Buses will stop running along the affected stretch from the evening of Sunday, October 25.
asserted
Buses → read → Sunday
The October closure marks the beginning of a phased transformation rather than the finished version of the new Oxford Street.
asserted
closure → mark → Street
Temporary measures will 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.
asserted
pedestrians → allow → space
More substantial temporary public-realm improvements, including additional seating, planting and new public spaces, are then expected during 2027.
asserted
improvements → include → 2027
Feedback and data gathered during this period will help shape the permanent design.
asserted
Feedback → gather → design
Which part of Oxford Street is closing?
asserted
part → close → Street
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.
The closure also does not mean every north-south road crossing Oxford Street will be blocked.
asserted
road → cover → Street
A number of north-south connections will remain available, allowing traffic to cross the pedestrianised street at designated junctions.
Will any vehicles still be allowed on Oxford Street?
asserted
vehicles → remain → Street
Although the street is being described as traffic-free, it will not be completely inaccessible to vehicles.
asserted
it → describe → vehicles
Emergency vehicles will have access at all times, while arrangements will also be made for essential services.
Businesses will continue to be serviced, with vehicle access permitted during designated overnight hours.
asserted
access → have → hours
Mobility scooters will also continue to be permitted access.
asserted
scooters → continue → access
However, ordinary cars, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs will not be allowed to travel along the pedestrianised section.
asserted
cars → allow → section
Will buses be allowed to use Oxford Street?
asserted
buses → allow → Street
Buses will stop running between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street from the evening of Sunday, October 25.
asserted
Buses → stop → Sunday
Services that currently use Oxford Street will instead be diverted onto surrounding roads or otherwise altered.
asserted
that → use → roads
TfL says some routes will serve new stops on streets including Wigmore Street, Henrietta Place and Cavendish Place.
asserted
routes → say → Street
Passengers travelling through the West End are being advised to check their route before travelling once the changes begin.
asserted
changes → travel → route
Tube and rail services will continue to operate as normal.
asserted
services → continue → ?
Can you cycle along the pedestrianised section?
asserted
you → cycle → section
Despite Oxford Street becoming pedestrianised, cyclists will not be permitted to ride along the traffic-free stretch.
asserted
cyclists → become → stretch
Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters will be diverted onto surrounding streets along with other traffic.
asserted
bikes → 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.
asserted
street → intend → residents
Further seating, planting, public spaces and other temporary improvements will follow during 2027.
asserted
seating → follow → 2027
Those measures will then inform the eventual permanent redesign of Oxford Street.
asserted
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.
uncertain
pedestrians → mark → streets
The Aporia
