Sadiq Khan: pedestrianising Oxford Street remains his “dream”

The line’s delayed £660m Bond Street station finally opens next Monday [October 24], five months after trains started running – opening up a direct “gateway” to the heart of the West End.The station, which suffered construction delays, is expected to boost capacity by 140,000 passengers a day – double the number currently able to use the adjacent Bond Street Tube station.The mayor’s scheme to part-pedestrianise Oxford Street was ditched by Westminster council, then under Tory control, in 2018. Removing traffic from the street was seen as vital to create enough space for the influx of passengers using the Elizabeth line, which also has a station at the Tottenham Court Road end of Oxford Street.Last week Westminster’s new Labour leadership announced a “streamlined” set of improvements, including wider pavements and better seating and lighting.Mr Khan said Oxford Street had become “tired and downbeat” and said he hoped the council’s plans were “not the destination” but would lead to further changes.He told the Standard: “My dream is still for Oxford Street to be pedestrianised. Why? It helps tackle climate change, it makes it a much more pleasant environment, it means it becomes a seven-day destination and also benefits retailers in this part of London.