Japanese-inspired crossing set for Circus

15 April 2009

Westminster City Council has begun work on a Japanese-inspired road crossing at one of the world’s busiest intersections.

The local authority this week launched a £5M project to pedestrianise part of Oxford Circus, which will enable the capital’s shoppers to cross the junction at Oxford Street and Regent Street diagonally for the first time.

The new design, based on similar crossings in Tokyo, will stop traffic in all directions in order to reduce footpath congestion on the high street that attracts 200M visitors a year.

Existing barriers and street clutter will be removed in order to provide pedestrians with the freedom to move around quickly.

As part of the works, more than half a kilometre of both Regent Street and Oxford Street will be redesigned with wider footways and new lighting.

Cllr Danny Chalkley, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: ‘Taking our inspiration from the Far East makes perfect sense as the Japanese have perfected the art of managing large numbers of people through good design and engineering, and the West End, like Tokyo’s Shibuya district, is a fashion and entertainment hub which attracts visitors in huge numbers.

‘This new crossing, which will transform Oxford Circus and ensure visitors who emerge from the Tube are impressed by what greets them, is part of a whole series of improvements taking place to ensure the West End looks truly world class in time for 2012 and the Olympics.’

The pedestrian crossings on each of the four roads entering Oxford Circus will be enhanced by two diagonal crossings in the centre of the junction, which will link with each corner. The traffic lights will be rephrased so vehicles will be stopped simultaneously for 30 seconds.

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