Pedestrian Priority Streets Programme

The City of London Corporation is improving the comfort and safety of people walking in the Square Mile. To make more space for people walking and reduce crowding, we are restricting access for motorised traffic on some streets in order to make pavements wider.

In summer 2020, we began providing more space for pedestrians to enable social distancing. These temporary traffic changes have now been made permanent, and we are in the process of undertaking public realm enhancement works to complement the traffic changes.

Cheapside (east of Bread Street)

Public realm enhancements on Cheapside begin on Monday 29 June, lasting approximately 9 months. More details can be found on the Cheapside Improvements webpage.

This follows the City Corporation agreeing to make the experimental traffic order permanent, which allowed taxis through the point restriction on Cheapside in order to improve access and the availability of taxis in the area.

King William Street – Phase two

Phase two of King William Street’s transformational scheme, between Abchurch Lane and Nicholas Lane, commences on Monday 1 July 2026. More details can be found on the King William Street Pedestrian Priority webpage.

Threadneedle Street and Old Broad Street

Construction of this scheme begins on Threadneedle Street from Tuesday 1 September 2026 before moving into Old Broad Street in February 2027. More details can be found on the Threadneedle Street and Old Broad Street Pedestrian Priority webpage

Old Jewry

On 9 December 2025, the City’s Streets & Walkways Sub-Committee resolved to make the experimental traffic order on Old Jewry permanent. The street will remain open to all traffic southbound, with contraflow cycling in the northbound direction. At the junction with Cheapside and Poultry, only cycles and taxis are able to turn left into Poultry, with all other traffic requiring to turn right into Cheapside.

Chancery Lane - Now complete

Restricts vehicles from travelling northbound above the junction with Carey Street between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, except taxis and vehicles requiring access to properties, parking or loading facilities in Chancery Lane. The experimental traffic order became permanent on 16 August 2024.

King Street - Now complete

The King Street scheme is complete, which includes retaining the one-way direction northbound for motorised traffic and two-way direction for cycling from the previous traffic experiment. In addition, the footway was widened for people walking on both sides of the street at various locations.