Oxford Street Pedestrianisation Hinges on 13-Month Infrastructure Sprint

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's summer 2027 deadline to close Oxford Street to traffic depends on rerouting buses, relocating gas mains, and navigating Crossrail infrastructure—all within 12–13 months. The W1 corridor sits atop one of central London's densest utility grids. Transport for London's bus network redesign typically requires longer consultation cycles. Success signals depend on whether TfL meets the compressed timeline; a change in mayoral administration could introduce renegotiation risk on dining and licensing elements, though completed groundwork becomes harder to unwind.