The mayor of London has proposed closing Oxford Street to traffic in order to improve the capital's main shopping street, despite previous failed attempts and possible resistance from some citizens. Bloomberg writes about this, UNN reports .
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The new Labor Party government team has backed Sadiq Khan's plan to make Oxford Street pedestrianized, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday. Oxford Street is one of London's busiest shopping streets, and the initiative is the latest in a series of attempts to revive footfall after years of decline accelerated by the shift to online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the New West End Company, a group set up to support businesses in the area, the avenue generated sales of approximately £3.1 billion ($4.1 billion) last year.
The Labor mayor proposed to make Oxford Street pedestrianized in his manifesto before the 2016 election. However, in 2018, the City of Westminster Council abandoned the plan, citing a lack of public support.
Oxford Street is an important thoroughfare connecting Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, a nearly two-kilometer (1.24-mile) street. Attempts to reduce congestion on the street have included designating a bus lane during peak hours and banning private vehicles. The plan to turn it into a pedestrian zone is likely to find opponents who fear that traffic will spread to neighboring streets.
Other attempts to revitalize the area have also failed. In 2021, local authorities spent millions of pounds to install a 25-meter (82-foot) grass-covered hill near Marble Arch, which was criticized as a waste.
“Given the history of past projects, it is critical that we move quickly to realize this project,” said Dee Corsi, CEO of New West End Company.
The latest proposals require consultation with the London Assembly, which oversees the mayor's activities.