To pedestrianise or not to pedestrianise?

Oxford Street is the UK’s largest retail destination and one of the world’s premier shopping streets, with approximately 3.5 million visitors a week. The Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street area generates around £7.6 billion annually, but there are also challenges relating to the quality of the shopping experience on Oxford Street and evidence shows that these challenges are deterring people from visiting and spending longer in the area.

Some of these deterrents are related to the crowding on footways which results in pedestrian comfort being compromised. The street also has poor air quality ratings, and conflicts between different road users are common and create road safety issues.

In 2018, the opening of the Elizabeth line (Crossrail), a major new east-west rail line across London, will have a fundamental impact on Oxford Street (between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus). The Elizabeth line station at Bond Street will increase the number of people living within 45 minutes of Oxford Street west by public transport by almost a fifth. This presents a clear opportunity for Oxford Street west, but could also exacerbate existing issues.

Steer Davies Gleave has been working collaboratively with Transport for London, Westminster City Council and a wider consultant team for about a year, examining a wide range of options for improving the western section of Oxford Street. These range from smaller scale interventions through to full pedestrianisation.

We have worked to resolve a multitude of complex issues that are inherent in each option. For example, we have examined how bus routes, bus stops and bus stands are affected in each option, both in order to create solutions that function at a strategic level, delivering a coherent bus network that provides useful links, and at a detailed level that makes bus stops and stands locations compatible with footway widths and abutting land uses.

Steer Davies Gleave has also developed and applied a transport impact assessment framework, which links to the West End Partnership’s strategic vision for the area. Our framework enables the relative advantages and disadvantages of each option to be measured and compared against a broad range of objectives, informed by analysis undertaken by us and our partners. The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has shown support to improving Oxford Street and consultation on options will commence soon.

There is much more going on in the West End. We are working on the Deliveries & Servicing Plans project, the Westminster Walking Strategy (which is out to consultation), and the Marylebone Low Emission Neighbourhood bid, which has been successful and secured Westminster City Council £1million towards improving air quality in Marylebone. This gives us unrivalled insight into transport issues and stakeholders in this area, so please get in touch to discuss how we can assist you with any projects.

Written by Sharon Daly