Oxford Street Bans Traffic From Monday

London closed Oxford Street to cars, buses and bicycles Monday, a move aimed at reversing years of change along the city's best-known shopping district. Traffic was diverted onto surrounding roads for the stretch between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, a span of nearly one kilometer.

City officials said the closure is the first stage of a larger redesign that includes planting trees, adding seating and building two new public squares. Further work starts in the new year, with plans revised based on visitor feedback. Oxford Street still draws about 500,000 people a day, who shop at retailers including Selfridges, Zara and John Lewis.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said pedestrianizing the street would place it alongside destinations such as Times Square, the Champs-Elysees and La Rambla. "This is a momentous day for London, a momentous day for Oxford Street," Khan told the BBC. "It's a new era."

Discussions about removing traffic began more than a decade ago. Momentum picked up over the past two years after the mayor's office set up the Oxford Street Development Corporation to carry the project forward, which helped ease objections from residents worried that diverted vehicles would congest their neighborhoods. A public consultation that followed concluded that taking traffic off the street would attract new shops and visitors. The project also received support from the new Elizabeth express line, which runs through central London with a stop on Oxford Street.

Khan spoke to reporters Monday on a rain-soaked Oxford Street. "In advance of Christmas, you know, I want people to come here and shop and enjoy the experience," he said. Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this report.