Britain’s Main Shopping Street Goes Car-free
Part of London’s busiest retail area, Oxford Street, permanently became pedestrian-only yesterday, bringing somewhat of a pre-horse-and-buggy vibe to a road with a Zara and an Adidas on it.
Half of the 1.2-mile street is now closed to cars, buses, cabs, bicycles, and scooters, in an effort to boost foot traffic and get the famed corridor back in league with global shopping hot spots like New York’s Times Square. The estimated ~$170 million project is arguably the biggest pedestrianization push of its kind in recent years.
According to city officials:
- Pedestrianizing Oxford Street could inject more than $90 million annually into the local economy and add 700+ jobs.
- Going vehicle-free is only the first step. Plans for next year include adding trees, outdoor seating, more lighting, and two public squares.
Oxford Street still does $3+ billion in sales annually, but it’s struggled since the pandemic and the rise of online shopping. Another curious disease has also eroded Oxford Street’s reputation in recent years: the spread of American candy and vape stores, which London Mayor Sadiq Khan aims to get rid of.
Though many shoppers and businesses are hyped, some worry about accessibility for elderly and disabled customers, and about potential spillover traffic in nearby neighborhoods.—ML
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