Westminster City Council has published plans to increase space for pedestrians and cyclists with timed road closures and wider pavements in the heart of the capital.
Work will begin this week to allow the reopening of the West End from Monday 1 June, with the city expected to follow at the start of July.
The council will widen pavements around Marylebone Station, Paddington, Oxford Street, Piccadilly and Regent Street.
It has worked up plans to reallocate parts of the carriageway in these busy areas to people travelling on foot and cyclists to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Others areas, including Covent Garden and Villiers Street, will see timed road closures with temporary gates.
The council will introduce additional cycle parking facilities at key locations in areas of high cycle demand, commercial areas and transport hubs.
It will also ban cars and increase pedestrian space around schools across the city.
There will be signs and guidance arounds markets and on streets and a new interactive web map to encourage people to keep to their local areas.
Westminster City Council leader Rachael Robathan said: “These bold plans are designed to ensure we are doing all we can to support the careful and safe reopening of Westminster for residents, visitors and workers as the lock down eases. This is essential in order to kick-start the economy, while always putting safety first.
“There is no book to read in advance on how a major world capital recovers from Covid-19. We need to make sure people can get to a workplace, a restaurant, a café or an attraction efficiently and safely as the ravages of this virus recede.”
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