Oxford street could be pedestrianised – BBC London News

Oxford Street could soon be traffic free, with no cars, buses or even bikes. That's what the Mayor of London wants. He's unveiled plans to pedestrianise part of Europe's busiest shopping street and says it could all happen by the end of next year. Our transport correspondent Tom Edwards has more details.

[madraven]

I say flood it and permit water transport only. If it's good enough for Venice, it's good enough for London.

[aum]

I would spend more time on the street if there were no cars, more benches, more trees, people strolling around without fear of collision, able to hear each other talking, able to change side of the road I see something I like without having to wait for a gap in the traffic or the traffic light, able to walk with their nose up admiring the nice buildings of the street.
It's obviously important to consider how to get people to and from pedestrian areas. But a pedestrian road in itself is IMO a more liveable road for a courious biped like me.

[harrisharland]

Tries to make it look busy by playing the same timelapse continuesly

[lunarskyye]

In Dublin, Grafton Street (the main shopping district) is pedestrianised. Its far better & easier to move around .

[antonydandrea]

Green Party first suggested this years ago and it got laughed

[warsameadam]

It’s about time . Most of cities have pedestrianised high streets. End of pollution.

[lerapol]

Oxford Street should at least be allowing buses and bicycles to go through, quite a few city centers already have this implemented and it's very efficient for bus routes, it will encourage more people to use public transport (like buses) and all in all it will be safer and the pollution will decrease dramatically.

[KS-qinz]

The congestion charge killed Oxford Street.

[AgnostosGnostos]

During Saturday mornings the pavements on Oxford street are not wide enough and shopping is hell on this street. I would prefer the widening of pavements. The narrower road will be only used by buses, taxis and electric cars. That will be beneficial for the shoppers and the traffic.

[Jssodk]

pedestrainise it. everytime when i go there i have to across the multiple time in order to go to the shop that i wanna go. thats so annoying!

[wcliftongameplaystutorials]

Where will the buses go if the road is pedestrianised? Why not turn it onto a guided busway? So that all buses running down the road will need stabilizers....

[trainspotteruk]

If they got a tram what went up and down Bond Street and Oxford street so people wouldn't have to walk that far ?

[johnnyboy]

What's going to happen for emergency services. What if someone has a heart attack or there's a fire halfway down? It is a long street.
Also by getting rid of traffic there you just push it around onto other already overcrowded and polluted streets, making the situation worse there. And also not allowing taxis and buses down makes transport in the area a lot more difficult. A compromise and better idea would be to not allow cars and just allow taxis and buses. This idea is stupid and goes too far. It hasn't been fully thought through as it will just increase congestion elsewhere as I've said.

[Koellenburg]

in Vienna we made actually a very good experience with Pedestrianisation (.. wel expect the planing and the construction, .. but thats a different story). But shops and their supply carriage can drive there between 22:00 and 6:00am. And for people living there there s a special right that they can drive there.

[blessingmatadi]

When will that "no motor vehicles" or predestan zone signs be installed

[wcliftongameplaystutorials]

Oxford street isn't even busy enough for it to be pedestrianised. Instead of pedestrianizing the street instead:turn it into a busway for buses, taxis & bicycles only with 2 lanes (1 in each direction)turn it into a guided busway & buses driving down it will need stabilizers cut the lanes down to 1 lane in each directionput 1 lane on each side going north & south so there's a big median strip & put pedestrians on thatconvert all bus lines on the road to trolleybus lines or tram lines & allow only electric vehicles on the street, so all taxis have to be powered by an electric engine same with all other vehicle types

[AlexS-ojqf]

Great idea. It'll surely attract more tourist, especially if it has the "old town" charm, because we all like to stroll around the beautiful side of the city.

[drdewott]

Personally the plan to pedestrianise a street like that is a good idea but I still think there are some things that could be done better. Like for instance Add bicycle lanes in the middle of the street along with possibly a BRT lane. That should in theory put away the cars but still make room for Bikes and public transport

[dimiz]

Why are people hating on cyclists for?

[a.b.]

I do think that cyclists should be aloud to continue to use Oxford Street on a dedicated cycle lane.