Buses to run for 24 hours a day under new £150m plans for Oxford Street
Buses will run for 24 hours a day under new plans to develop Oxford Street which London mayor Sadiq Khan wanted to pedestrianise before the plans were abandoned in the summer.
Westminster city council will spend £150m on increasing walking space in Oxford Street but two lanes of traffic will continue along the length of the street .
The mayor's plans were scuppered after the council pulled its support for the project citing concerns from residents who did not want traffic diverted into nearby streets.
The council said it wanted to create the equivalent of "two Trafalgar Squares" worth of space and a new public piazza-style space at Oxford Circus, and a new gateway into the West End at Marble Arch.
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It said any commercial vehicles that were not zero emission would be banned and a 20mph limit would be imposed across the district.
Cabinet member for place shaping and planning Richard Beddoe said: “In developing this strategy we have listened carefully to those who know best – those who live, work, visit and do business in the area that has helped shape our deep understanding of what makes the place so special and what we should do to enhance the area.
“We are all well aware of the challenges the district faces and we want to bring all the available public and private resources to bear to tackle them head on and future proof the district’s ongoing success which is vital for Westminster and London. This strategy and the significant funding we have set aside is the enabler to make this happen.”
A spokesperson for Khan said: “The mayor has been briefed by Westminster council on their latest plans, and the mayor’s office and TfL will look at them in detail over the coming weeks.
“The mayor has made clear that the status quo simply isn’t an option for the future of Oxford Street, and for the millions of Londoners and visitors who use it every year, nothing short of a transformation is required.
“Any new plans must secure the future of the West End’s economy and provide comprehensive solutions to the major challenges facing the area, including improving air quality and dealing with the serious overcrowding issues that will be exacerbated on Oxford Street over the coming years.”
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