News from Caroline Russell: Mayor drops the ball on Oxford Street

Westminster Council last night withdrew support for plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street.

Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell says:

This is a devastating example of the Mayor’s lack of leadership in actually making our streets better for people. Nice plans are no good if he can’t put them into action.

He hasn’t even trialled a car-free day in London two years into his term, despite his election promises. We know that the majority of Londoners support a proper car-free day for people walking and cycling, rather than for a major event or parade. [1]

A proper car-free day lets people experience what our streets can be like when they are not clogged by traffic yet the Mayor has shown no will to organise even one.

The Mayor needs to come up with another plan for Oxford Street fast and he also needs to show more leadership and vision when it comes to the major changes needed to transform our streets.

There is a real risk he won’t even have one major scheme accomplished after four years, let alone made cycling and walking safe and enjoyable in local neighbourhoods across the capital.