Pedestrian Priority Streets Programme
The City of London Corporation is improving the comfort and safety of pedestrians in the Square Mile. We need to restrict access for motorised traffic on some streets in order to make pavements wider, provide more space for pedestrians and reduce crowding.
In the summer 2020, we provided more space for pedestrians to enable social distancing. These changes have been maintained as traffic experiments so that we can monitor the impacts on residents, businesses and street users.
Our recent consultation assessed the impact of these changes and whether they should be made permanent. The consultation has closed and the results will be published in the coming weeks but you can still submit comments by emailing Pedestrian Priority Team .
Proposed permanent measures
Cheapside (east of Bread Street)
- Point “no entry” (in both directions) except buses and cycles.
- Further enhancement of the temporary public realm (i.e. seating and greenery).
Old Jewry
- Retaining the bollards that close the street at the Cheapside end.
- Creation of a new “green” space in the road at the Cheapside end with plants and seating.
- Carriageway to be raised up around Fredericks Place.
King Street
- Retaining the one way working for motorised traffic and two-way cycling.
- Widening the footway for people walking on both sides of the street at various locations.
King William Street
- Adjusting the current restriction which allows access for loading to also allow access for taxis and private hire drop off/pick up to King William Street and Lombard Street.
- Widening the footway for people walking on both sides of the street.
Threadneedle Street and Old Broad Street (south)
- Retaining the one way working for motorised traffic and two-way cycling.
- Widening the footway for people walking on one side of the street.
- Provide an improved walking environment that provides adequate space for pedestrians which, along with improving the quality of the City streets and public realm, contributes to the continued success of the Square Mile as a global centre for business, place to live and visitor destination.
- Improve the safety of pedestrians by reducing conflicts with vehicles and making streets easier to cross.
- Create a more accessible Square Mile where everyone will feel more able and confident to walk on City streets
- Reduce the exposure of pedestrians to air pollution and contributing to overall emission reductions in the City.
- Introduce public realm enhancements to improve the look and feel of the City and introduce greening and seating where appropriate.
A report seeking initiation of the project was approved by the Streets and Walkways Sub (Planning and Transportation) Committee in April 2021 and Court of Common Council in June 2021.
In October 2021, these Committees voted that the current on-street measures should be kept in place as a formal traffic order.
The Experimental Traffic Order consultation closed on 22 July.
Contact the Pedestrian Priority Team
These images are visualisations of what Old Jewry, King Street, King William Street, Cheapside and Old Broad Street/Threadneedle (left to right) could look like if the experiment is successful and if it is decided to make the change permanent. You can click on the images to view them full screen.
