Oxford Circus 'X-crossing' unveiled
Updated on 02 November 2009
Europe's busiest diagonal crossing, which has done away with conventional railings and improves pedestrian access, opens on Oxford Circus.
The design of the new £5m crossing was inspired by the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo and allows pedestrians to cross diagonally in an "X" which should cut congestion and ease overcrowding.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, who opened the crossing by striking a cymbal in homage to the design's Japanese roots, said it was, "a triumph for British engineering, Japanese innovation and good old-fashioned common sense."
"The head scratching frustration caused by the previous design is over and we've brought one of the world's greatest crossroads into the 21st century," he added.
The London borough of Kensington has seen a similar pedestrian scheme dramatically reduce the number of road accidents. In 1999/2000 there were over 150 accidents, 17 of those serious.
In 2007/2008, after the "naked road" was in place, that figure dropped by two thirds to 53 accidents - 11 of them serious.
The revamped crossing reopens in time for the switching on of the Regent Street and Oxford Street Christmas lights on 3 November.
