Oxford Street, London’s busiest shopping street, will become traffic-free on 26 October 2026 as the capital begins the first phase of a long-running plan to pedestrianise the West End thoroughfare.
The 0.9km section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street will become completely traffic-free, with buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cycles, pedicabs, e-bikes and e-scooters excluded. Mobility scooters will remain permitted. North-south roads will continue to cross Oxford Street, while emergency vehicles and some servicing and cleaning vehicles will retain access at specified times.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the changes followed “strong support from Londoners and businesses”, would begin the “real transformation of the nation’s high street”, with the traffic-free section intended to create a new public space for retail, leisure and cultural events in advance of the Christmas shopping period.
“Oxford Street pedestrianisation couldn’t come soon enough,” Oliver Lord, UK Director of Clean Cities, told Zag Daily. “Making Oxford Street traffic-free will help create a safer, healthier, and more vibrant city centre that delivers cleaner air, a fairer use of streets and economic renewal.”
He added that the pedestrianisation should extend to the streets around Oxford Street as well.
Buses currently using the section will be diverted onto surrounding streets, with new stops planned on Wigmore Street, Henrietta Place and Cavendish Place. The impact on journey times will vary by route. Route 98, for example, is forecast to see journey times increase by up to five minutes during peak periods.
Cycling will also be prohibited on the pedestrianised section. TfL says cyclists will be able to use alternative routes through the surrounding area and is working with Westminster City Council on further cycling infrastructure, alongside potential parking for cycles, e-bikes and e-scooters.
The traffic changes have prompted concerns from Westminster City Council over their effect on surrounding roads. The council has questioned how access, air pollution, street cleaning and public safety will be managed and has warned that traffic could be displaced onto smaller nearby streets.
TfL’s own modelling forecasts changes in traffic flows on several surrounding roads. Wigmore Street, for example, is expected to see increases in some directions during peak periods, while journey times on some alternative routes are also forecast to rise.
The initial public realm changes will be temporary, allowing TfL and the Oxford Street Development Corporation to collect feedback and data on how the space is used before permanent improvements are designed. Plans include new seating, trees and other changes intended to give pedestrians more space.
The scheme follows years of proposals and political disagreement over the future of Oxford Street. The current plan covers only the section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, with any future extension dependent on further decisions.
