Oxford Street has entered a new era, according to Transport for London, with one of Europes busiest shopping streets now pedestrianised.London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the changes to Oxford Street are momentous for the capital and said it would create a vibrant destination for Londoners and visitors.There has been talk of pedestrianising Oxford Street for decades. After so many false dawns, and now working with a Government who share the scale of my ambition, Im proud that were finally unlocking a new era for the street, he said.About half of the 1.2-mile road between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street is now permanently closed to traffic. That includes buses, cars, taxis and cycles.Cycling consternationThe exclusion of cycles from the stretch of road has, maybe unsurprisingly, led to consternation from those willing to stoke the debate around cycling etiquette and cycling advocates.The Standard jumped on the opportunity to highlight how cyclists were already breaking the rules. It went down to the newly pedestrianised street from 8am on Tuesday morning and counted 51 people cycling through the new gates and barriers.The publication then published an article asking why the Met Police or TfL werent fining any of the cyclists, ebike users and delivery riders travelling along the closed strip.While some may be unaware of the new restrictions, others were seen getting back on their bikes after being told by Transport for London (TfL) staff to dismount, The Standard wrote, before adding that the approach appears to be to provide advice and guidance rather than issuing fines.It is understood that dockless ebike operators Lime, Forest and Voi have geofenced the pedestrianised section of Oxford Street. If a rider attempts to travel through the area, the electric bike or scooter motor will shut down.Cyclists who ignore Oxford Streets restrictions could face a 160 fine, reduced to 80 if it's paid within 14 days, according to TfL.Yesterday, the transport body took to social media to remind cyclists of the new rules, sharing a picture of a sign that says Please walk your bike.Cycling is no longer permitted on the traffic-free section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. We will maintain an active presence of enforcement officers.You can continue your journey using the surrounding highway network and choose an alternative route from the nearby streets that remain open, TfL wrote on X.TfL advised that cyclists can find accessible routes through its London cycling map. Planning to cycle through the West End? Cycling is no longer permitted on the traffic-free section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. We will maintain an active presence of enforcement officers. You can continue your journey using the pic.twitter.com/F6YkBgIDnj TfL (@TfL) October 27, 2026 Parallel routes neededThe London Cycling Campaign (LCC) said on Monday that action should be taken to demand cycling routes parallel to Oxford Street.[T]hese changes are great news, despite them meaning cycling is now banned from Oxford Street itself.This is a massive win on moves to reclaim West End space from motor vehicles and make the nations iconic high street far better.Its the boldest thing the Mayor has done since ULEZ and its a real shift in the way we treat central London, LCC said in a statement.LCC said that the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street is very much what the Dutch would do but it added that unlike the Dutch, we dont have a low traffic central zone, and we dont have a viable and dense network of cycle routes that all connect already.The very real risk is that we dont end up with a much-needed broader low traffic west end, but a low cycling one instead.LCC said that inaction on the issue could lead to some people stopping cycling, flouting the ban or finding haphazard routes through Marylebone and Mayfair.The charity highlighted how Westminster Council has already started building cycle tracks on George Street, north of Oxford Street, but said that the cycleways need to be double the length.Even if Oxford Streets pedestrianisation happened overnight, the cycling infrastructure needed around the busy shopping strip will take longer to build.In the meantime, it seems Londons new bold project has become another flash point for debates around the capitals cycling boom. You may like: City of London Police launches Sin Bin for cyclists that jump red lights