Oxford Street left off pop-up cycle lane list

By Owen Sheppard, Local Democracy Reporter

City planners have been told to get their act together after abandoning the idea of creating a “pop-up” cycle lane through Oxford Street.

In late May, the Evening Standard quoted a Westminster council spokesman as saying Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly would get new pop-up cycle lanes.

On June 10, the council then announced a “cycling revolution” in the West End, with eight new cycle routes along 11km of road.

However, Oxford Street did not appear in the list of eight, and no new cycling route has appeared, although pavements have been widened to the west of Portland Place.

West End Labour councillor Pancho Lewis said: “Westminster council needs to get its act together and communicate clearly with cyclists.

“Thousands of cyclists rely on Westminster as a central London local authority to be clear about what its plans are, and when things like this happen it doesn’t inspire much confidence.

“We’ve got an opportunity to encourage more active forms of travel – not just cycling, but walking, too.

“However, achieving this aim is reliant on the council having a clear plan and communications strategy.”

Simon Munk, of the London Cycling Campaign said, it was “very disappointing” that Oxford Street would no longer be included.

Asked why Oxford Street has not received a new cycle lane, a spokesman for the Conservative-run council said it was trying to make the shopping district “become cycle friendly”.

The spokesman added that the council was looking at ways in which to “reduce the number of vehicles, consolidate deliveries, and increase pedestrian space,” and that the area’s roads and walkways were constantly being updated as part of the council’s “post-lockdown movement strategy”.

Pictured top: Oxford Street