Oxford Street will be pedestrianised by the end of next of next year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed.
The half-mile section between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus – which will ban buses, black cabs and cars – will help the surrounding area prepare for the significant increase in the number of pedestrians that will brought into central London with the arrival of the Elizabeth Line by the end of 2018, Transport For London has announced.
The iconic central London shopping strip is one of the busiest in London, and is visited by more than four million people a week.
The transformation to turn Oxford Street into "a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard" is intended to protect residents living in the wider area from the existing pressures of traffic and pollution.
It also aims to establish Oxford Street as a place for people rather than traffic, and more immediately address the existing issues which harm the area, including poor air quality, traffic congestion, traffic domination of streets and inadequate space for walking.
According to the plans, all east-west traffic will be stopped but some north-south routes will be maintained.
Khan said: "Oxford Street is world famous with millions of visitors every year, and in just over a year the iconic part of the street west of Oxford Circus could be transformed into a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard.
"Whether you're a local resident, a business, or shop in some of the area's famous stores, our plans will make the area substantially cleaner and safer for everyone, creating one of the finest public spaces in the world."
Extended taxi ranks would be created nearby the area to allow black cabs to continue to pick up and drop off shoppers.
Cyclists will be prohibited from riding in the pedestrianised area, but TFL said it would consult on plans to create "new high-quality cycle routes" to the north and south of Oxford Street.
Naomi Gordon is news writer mainly covering entertainment news with a focus on celebrity interviews and television.
