One of Sadiq Khan’s aims during his mayorship is to pedestrianise Oxford Street. He made the pledge in his manifesto, and it’s seemingly going ahead. By 2020, our busiest shopping street is going to look incredibly different, so it’s high time he and we consider the reality of this change.
Why do it?
Oxford Street has some enviable trophies to its name. It’s not just London’s busiest shopping street, it’s Europe’s too. It sees half a million visitors every day so space is limited. People fight for it on pavements and roads, which means the street also boasts three of the most dangerous crossings in London. TfL figures state that 192 pedestrians have been injured by buses here over a decade, with 56 being killed or seriously injured.
To add to its accolades, it had the world’s highest level of Nitrogen Dioxide pollution – caused mostly by diesel engines – in 2013. This is Khan’s biggest motivation for pedestrianisation. He is, after all, hoping to become London’s greenest Mayor. This isn’t his idea however; it’s been considered for decades. With that in mind, couldn’t we have pedestrianised before spending 5m on the new X crossing at Regent’s Street?
Prior Pedestrianisation
It’s not the first (nor the last) London pedestrianisation. Trafalgar Square was our last effort: the northern part was pedestrianised in 2003. The remaining roads surrounding the square were also narrowed, discouraging drivers and traffic.
Surprisingly, one of the scheme’s biggest critics was the old Director of the National Gallery. You’d think getting rid of a dirty great road in front of the gallery would be a good thing. However, Sir Nicholas Penny claimed it reduced the peace afforded at the gallery, with constant crowds, performers and events.
However, the redevelopment by Gherkin architect Norman Foster has been popular. It’s given a little bit more of London back to pedestrians, and made navigating the square a lot safer for tourists and Londoners. It’s the same result Khan hopes for at Oxford Street.
Buses
One of the biggest concerns of pedestrianisation is diversion of traffic. Banned vehicles will have to be diverted elsewhere. Its just not feasible for all drivers to occupy the surrounding roads. It will simply shift the pollution and congestion to surrounding areas.
Buses have become a sticking point for most critics. They argue that the buses operating down Oxford Street need to be axed rather than rerouted. A short walk down Oxford Street is all it takes to see how many of these buses are empty. With Crossrail coming soon and bringing a potential 200,000 more a day, it makes sense to get rid of the big reds as soon as possible.
Tube
Unfortunately, those most affected will be the elderly and disabled. We’ve all done the misguided trek from one end to the other of OS. It feels like you should be delivering a ring to Mordor by the end of it. If the street is pedestrianised, we’ll have to rely on the tube. Doesn’t sound so bad – as long as you’re able bodied.
Of the four stations that lay along Oxford Street, none have full disabled access. That’s right: zero. The reality is that Green Park is currently the closest tube station for wheelchair users.
With Oxford Street pedestrianised, taxis will be out too. This affects our already ailing black cabbies, while access for the less able is looking harder by the minute. There is hope, however. The new Crossrail stations at Tottenham Court and Bond Street will be step-free from platform to street. As long as they can get off the trains, all the elderly and disabled need to do is navigate the 20 minute walk between the two.
The Future
Despite the obvious obstacles, the benefits are clear. Oxford Street will be safer, cleaner, less polluted, congestion-free and business will improve as a result. The street used to be pedestrianised one day each year, before Christmas. In 2012, this day produced a £17m boost in sales. Clearly, it could pay off. Of course, it’ll also encourage exercise. It’s just a pity all Londoners avoid it like the plague.
Oxford Street pedestrianisation sounds like a win-win situation. The reality, however, is going to take some time, effort and awareness to realise.
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