Almost a kilometre of Oxford Street will be closed to general traffic from Monday, October 26, as the first phase of the long-awaited pedestrianisation gets under way. The stretch between Orchard Street, near Selfridges, and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus, will become traffic-free.
Buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs will all be diverted away from the section. The closure marks the beginning of a phased transformation rather than the finished version of the new Oxford Street.
A plan years in the making
Plans to reduce traffic on Oxford Street are nothing new. Successive London administrations have considered ways of reducing traffic and improving the public realm, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan first proposed pedestrianising it as part of his 2016 mayoral programme. Detailed plans were consulted on in 2017 but ultimately abandoned after Westminster City Council withdrew its support.
The idea was revived in September 2024, when Lord Khan announced plans for a much wider transformation. Central to the new approach was the creation of a Mayoral Development Area and the Oxford Street Development Corporation, giving City Hall a greater role in overseeing the regeneration. A public consultation followed in early 2025, with 66% of respondents supporting the principle of making Oxford Street traffic-free.
Westminster City Council has previously raised concerns about displaced traffic and a potential increase in noise and pollution on surrounding streets. Despite this, the mayor formally approved the traffic and highway changes needed for the first section on February 26 this year.
Phased closure and temporary measures
Work is already under way, with further road and bus changes beginning over the weekend of October 24 and 25. Buses will stop running along the affected stretch from the evening of Sunday, October 25. Initially, changes to the street itself will be relatively limited, particularly during the busy Christmas shopping period.
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. More substantial temporary public-realm improvements, including additional seating, planting and new public spaces, are expected during 2027. Feedback and data gathered during this period will help shape the permanent design.
Which part of Oxford Street is closing?
The first phase covers almost one kilometre of Oxford Street between Orchard Street, close to Selfridges and Marble Arch, and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus. Oxford Street east of Great Portland Street towards Tottenham Court Road will not form part of this initial traffic-free section.
The closure does not mean every north-south road crossing Oxford Street will be blocked. A number of north-south connections will remain available, allowing traffic to cross the pedestrianised street at designated junctions. These include Orchard Street / North Audley Street, Duke Street, Stratford Place / Davies Street, Vere Street / New Bond Street, Holies Street / Harewood Place, Regent Street, and Great Portland Street.
Vehicle access and bus changes
Although the street is being described as traffic-free, it will not be completely inaccessible to 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. Mobility scooters will also continue to be permitted access.
However, ordinary cars, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, bicycles, scooters and pedicabs will not be allowed to travel along the pedestrianised section. Buses will stop running between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street from the evening of Sunday, October 25, with services diverted onto surrounding roads or otherwise altered. TfL says some routes will serve new stops on streets including Wigmore Street, Henrietta Place and Cavendish Place. Alternative bus stops will generally be around 200 metres from the traffic-free section.
Cyclists will not be permitted to ride along the traffic-free stretch. Bicycles, e-bikes and scooters will be diverted onto surrounding streets along with other traffic. The restriction is intended to create a predominantly pedestrian space rather than simply a car-free road. Tube and rail services will continue to operate as normal.
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. Further seating, planting, public spaces and other temporary improvements will follow during 2027, informing the eventual permanent redesign.
For now, 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.
