One of the world's most polluted streets could eliminate vehicles in 2018
Come 2018 Oxford Street might be unrecognisable to today's Londoners.
Today Transport for London proposed plans to eliminate vehicles on Oxford Street, one of the busiest and most polluted boulevards in London, by next year. The proposals are open for public comment until 17 December, and they hope to take a decision in spring 2018.
At the moment buses and taxis use Oxford Street, but under the proposal, "Access by taxis, private hire vehicles and freight and servicing vehicles would all be restricted."
Mayor Sadiq Khan has said before that Oxford Street is the world's most polluted, but that only looking at levels of one pollutant.
Oxford Street records very high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), a pollutant caused by diesel engines. It's one of the busiest thoroughfares for buses in the UK. Taking the buses and taxis away certainly will help reduce NO2, but the capital's efforts to introduce zero-emission taxis and buses would likely help in that regard, too.
Mayor Khan tweeted about the plans.
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"We genuinely believe these proposals respond positively to the concerns raised by some and would enable us to deliver a significantly improved Oxford Street and the wider Oxford Street area for everyone," claim Transport for London.
They further note, "Doing nothing to transform the Oxford Street district would mean that traffic and pedestrian congestion on Oxford Street and in the surrounding area would worsen."
One aim of the proposal is to help cut pollution, as "air pollution ‘limits’ in the Oxford Street area are regularly exceeded, despite steps over recent years to reduce harmful emissions."
Transport for London also aim to create a space for public art with the project, "In the coming months we will commission an artist to create an 800m-long piece of public art to be painted along the length of what would be the former carriageway."
This transformation would coincide with the opening of the new underground line, the Elizabeth Line.
These proposals are up for consultation until 17 December 2017. Until then the people of London can voice their support or opposition to the plans. Some have already weighed in on Twitter.
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We'll just have to wait and see whether Transport for London will go through with the plans.
