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TomTom warns Oxford Street pedestrianisation could shift traffic pressure elsewhere
TomTom’s Global Traffic Lead, Douglas Gilmour, has said the new pedestrianisation of Oxford Street should be assessed for its effects on surrounding roads and transport access, as well as its potential to make the shopping area more welcoming.
His comments follows after news that black cabs and buses have lost access to almost one kilometre of Oxford Street under new pedestrianisation plans. Gilmour said successful schemes need to consider what happens to traffic after a road closes, including whether congestion builds on neighbouring streets.
He said pedestrianisation could reduce conflict between vehicles and the public in one of Britain’s busiest shopping destinations. With UK high-street footfall under pressure, he argued that creating places where people feel safe and want to spend longer could support wider regeneration.
Gilmour said buses, taxis, deliveries and emergency services must retain access as planners decide how traffic will move around a pedestrianised area. Changes to one street, he said, can affect the reliability of the wider transport network.
He called for before-and-after traffic analysis to identify unintended consequences and help authorities adjust a scheme. The same considerations, he said, apply to pedestrianisation projects beyond Oxford Street.
Gilmour said: “Pedestrianising Oxford Street could make one of Britain’s busiest shopping destinations more welcoming while reducing conflict between vehicles and the public. UK high-street footfall is under pressure, so we need to create places where people feel safe and want to spend longer to support wider regeneration.
“However, it’s important to remember that traffic doesn’t just disappear when a road closes. Planners need to understand where vehicles reroute, whether congestion builds on neighbouring streets and how buses, taxis, deliveries and emergency services continue to provide access.
“Before-and-after traffic analysis is essential to identifying unintended consequences and adjusting the scheme accordingly. That lesson applies beyond Oxford Street. Successful pedestrianisation should create a safer, stronger high street without compromising accessibility or the reliability of the surrounding transport network.”
