The Oxford Circus Diagonal Crossing has the highest highest density of use in the UK (43, 000 pedestrians per hour, over 2,000 buses per hour via 23 routes at a major London Underground interchange with 230,000 people per day).

The centerpiece of the scheme is the unique diagonal crossings. The extra diagonal routes mean pedestrians can choose from a wide range of crossing options. The original crossings have been moved so they conform more to pedestrians’ the natural routes, in straight lines – east-west and north-south. Navigating the area meant getting around about 150 pieces of street furniture including balustrades, traffic signs, and bins. More than half were removed, increasing the effective space available by almost 70 percent. The challenges involved substantial research with London Underground, landowners and equipment interfaces, Victorian pipe subways and utilities, including security, bus and traffic control equipment, ventilation systems, an underground public toilet and structural walls on the public highway.

The scheme has proven successful, with reduced footway congestion, a doubling of walking speeds and one in six visitors using the diagonal routes. According to Transport for London’s (TfL) business model it should generate around £6.5 million in benefits from pedestrian and vehicle journey time savings.

TfL funded research found that safety had been improved with up to 20% more pedestrians now obeying the crossings’ green man phases. The team concluded this was because pedestrians were less stressed, as congestion had been cut, footway space had increased and the diagonals had added additional, faster and more attractive routes across the Circus.