London's Oxford Street Closes to Vehicles as Pedestrian Zone Opens

A section of London's Oxford Street became a pedestrian-only zone on Monday, ending generations of shared space between shoppers, bikes, cars, black cabs and red double-decker buses. The car-free stretch runs from Great Portland Street to Orchard Street.

Despite a characteristically grey and rainy morning, some of the first people to walk down the middle of the road were upbeat. Biology teacher Muneera Alfadhel called the experience "magical". Forensic scientist Mark Arbouine was among the few who stepped off the pavement, saying he noticed there was no traffic and decided to take advantage. He described the change as good for the environment and for shopping. Most pedestrians, by force of habit, still stuck to the pavement.

The street carries real economic weight. About 1 percent of the UK's annual gross domestic product is generated along this 1km (0.6 miles) stretch. Even so, it has suffered in recent decades from weaker consumer spending and falling rents. According to the retail trade body New West End Company, footfall is now just 57 percent of its 2006 level.

The Greater London Authority, known as City Hall, sees pedestrianisation as a possible lifeline. Its analysis suggests the partial closure to traffic could generate more than $109m per year and support 700 additional jobs. After a weekend trial in October 2025, two-thirds of local businesses reported higher or similar sales during the pedestrianisation. The move is the first phase of a wider regeneration plan that would add two public squares, 50 trees and hundreds of public seats.

Barbara Stoll, a campaigner for greener, more walkable cities, said the air already felt cleaner and the noise was considerably lower. She said people emerging from the Tube looked around with excitement, "almost like children when it's Christmas Day". She argued that examples elsewhere show such projects improve life for residents, boost retail, reduce shop vacancies and cut local air pollution.

Not everyone is convinced. Before the change, a French tourist said he would avoid Oxford Street entirely if buses and cabs could no longer pass through. Another shopper told Al Jazeera that people with disabilities would need bus services to continue, noting that tiredness and rain can make walking difficult.

The plan has a long and contested history. Mayor Sadiq Khan first tried to pedestrianise the street in 2017 after a manifesto pledge, but the effort collapsed in 2018 when Westminster Council withdrew its support, saying residents were against it. After a public consultation, Khan set up the Oxford Street Development Corporation, moving responsibility for the street from local officials to the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.

Local doubts remain. Tim Barnes, deputy leader of the City of Westminster council and its cabinet member for growth and planning, said communication with residents had been "pretty much one way" and that those who know the street best "haven't really been listened to". He believes the economic benefits are overstated and that the impact of moving bus routes onto smaller surrounding streets has been overlooked. Resident Nerma Cridge shares that concern and said the West End would become "completely unliveable, too crowded and too noisy at night".

The development corporation will test and review the results in the coming months and examine its findings early next year. Converting the rest of Oxford Street into a permanent traffic-free public space is expected to proceed by the end of next year. With mayoral elections due in 2028, the project could be among the last major initiatives Khan approves, and a defining part of his legacy.