Cleaner, greener, more prosperous – that seems to have been the rallying cry trumpeted from supporters of the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street in central London, which came into place on Monday.
But at the same time as diverting the noise and the fumes of heavy traffic, the project has also cut off a major active transport route, with cyclists among those who are no longer allowed to use the famous shopping thoroughfare.
Mainstream media spent much of Monday highlighting this with reports of bike riders ignoring the new pedestrians-only designation.
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Charity London Cycling Campaign said in a statement that it was wholly supportive of low-traffic streets for the West End, but new cycle routes needed to be provided in tandem.
“LCC is supportive of the new pedestrianised Oxford Street,” the charity said. “We welcome the move to reclaim West End space from motor vehicles and make the nation’s iconic high street far better. And it shouldn’t stop here, making the whole of the West end low traffic should be the ultimate goal.
“However, this issue brings to light the fact that Westminster Council have not acted quickly enough to bring in high-quality parallel cycle routes. Traffic counts show that thousands of people had been cycling along Oxford Street daily, and those riders need safe alternative routes urgently.”
LCC also has a form on its website allowing supporters to send a message directly to Westminster Council to ask for new cycling routes to be installed, allowing riders to circumnavigate the newly pedestrianised street.
While parts of the street are still open to vehicles, a key kilometre-long stretch between Great Portland Street and Orchard Street is now pedestrian-only. Delivery and service vehicles will still be able to use the stretch between midnight and 7am, but mobility scooters are the only other wheeled vehicle to be able to use it.
Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation plans have long been talked about and has had false starts before, but after a supportive consultation last year, this time they have gone through. What follows now will be new seats, planting and the installation of public squares that could be used as event spaces.
