Proposed Changes to Bus Routes for Pedestrianisation Delayed Until 2026
Plans for pedestrianising Oxford Street won’t be revealed until 2026, causing delays in bus route changes and consultations.
Oxford Street, London, Transport for London, Sadiq Khan, Pedestrianisation
London: So, it looks like we won’t be seeing any detailed plans for pedestrianising Oxford Street until 2026. Transport for London (TfL) has hinted that key documents are still in the works.
According to their draft budget for the next financial year, TfL is gearing up to work with the Greater London Authority on this project. They expect to start consultations in early 2026, which feels like ages away.
Mayor Sadiq Khan had mentioned wanting to make some progress on this by now, but it seems like the timeline has shifted. He initially hoped to get things moving within 12 to 18 months.
If TfL doesn’t kick off the consultation on bus reroutes until early 2026, we might not see any results until summer 2026 at the earliest. That’s a long wait!
Interestingly, Khan has already said that cyclists won’t be allowed on Oxford Street under these new plans. A spokesperson from City Hall mentioned that this is a phased project, with the first consultations starting in early 2025.
There will be more consultations for later phases in 2026 and beyond, so it’s going to be a drawn-out process. Some local residents are not too happy about this, especially with the idea of a mayoral development corporation overseeing the changes.
To manage all this, Khan is setting up an “Oxford Street office” with around 15 staff members. He wants to take control of the street and make it a TfL road, moving it away from Westminster council’s oversight.
The draft budget also includes plans to enhance pedestrian safety and health on the streets. They’re looking to spend more on projects aimed at reducing road deaths and increasing bus lanes.
There’s a budget of £10 million for the initial phases of the Superloop 2 project, which aims to expand the express bus network in outer London. This includes a new route that follows the proposed Bakerloo line extension.
TfL has received a hefty £485 million in funding from the government for the upcoming financial year, which will help with various projects, including new trains for the Elizabeth line.
However, TfL’s commissioner, Andy Lord, mentioned that they can only move forward with replacing old trains if they have certainty about long-term funding. The first of the new Elizabeth line trains is expected to arrive by the end of 2026.
With the government’s spending review not coming until 2025, TfL hasn’t been able to finalize its medium-term business plan yet. They’re also looking to convert all London buses to zero emissions by 2030, but that’s going to need more funding.
In addition to all this, TfL is planning to extend the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead and is working on other key projects like the West London Orbital rail link.
They’re also keen to collaborate with the government on rail devolution and metroisation, starting with the Great Northern franchise. TfL is committed to supporting the HS2 extension to Euston, but funding for necessary improvements at Euston and Euston Square stations is still up in the air.