Traffic is set to be banned from Seven Dials for the remainder of 2020.
Making cities greener and happier has been a global priority for a little while now, but the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic looks to be accelerating it in London. As Sadiq Khan promotes cycling and walking at every turn, and social distancing makes bus and Tube travel trickier, pedestrianisation projects are helping keep areas of the city car-free and full of people. We’ve already seen it in Soho, where the streets have been filled with outdoor dining, and now Seven Dials will ban traffic, beginning in on August 3.
Seven Dials – which, famously, is the junction of seven streets which connect Covent Garden and Soho – has partnered with Camden Council to bring about the change. From 10am to 6pm, seven days a week, the roads leading to Seven Dials will be closed, with barriers and the site’s security team on hand to enforce them. The pedestrianisation project, which will be in place until the year’s end, has been designed to allow for a safer shopping experience, letting pedestrians and cyclists move around freely without needing to dodge traffic, on what is a surprisingly busy little roundabout.
In a further effort to encourage Londoners to use pedal power to get to Seven Dials, the number of bicycle parking spaces in the area will be increased, and there are more pandemic-era precautions in place, too. Hand sanitiser stations will be a common sight on your next visit to Seven Dials, whilst a one-way system has been installed in colourful neighbour Neals Yard. Seven Dials have hinted at further developments to come, which we’re really hoping means more outdoor restaurants and bars on the closed streets. Fingers crossed!
Also published on Medium.