Baker Street Two Way Project – Switching to Two Way This Week

Are you ready for the switch to two-way? This week, if the weather gods are kind, Baker Street and Gloucester Place will switch to two-way flow.

Starting on Thursday evening through to Sunday morning phased road closures will be in place to allow for the new system to be implemented.  After this time the roads will become permanently two way. If you’re in the area during this time please check before you travel. Of course, the tube will be unaffected and is likely to be your best way to get around.

If weather conditions are poor the switch will be postponed until next week or the following one.  The go ahead will be given tomorrow (Tuesday) when the final forecast is assessed. Please do share our poster with your friends and colleagues to help ensure everyone is aware and prepared.

For many of you it’s likely that Monday will be your first experience of the new system and layout. Please take extra care when crossing the roads, use the new crossings and remember to look both ways, especially before you’ve had your morning caffeine fix! Perhaps Monday would be a good day to remove other distractions like headphones and phones.  Not only will vehicles be going north and south on both streets, some bus routes will also be different, so there’s no room for day-dreaming. Please have your wits about you until, at least until you get used to it.

After 18 months of works we’re delighted to see the realisation of this much-anticipated project, which together with The Portman Estate, we’ve been championing for many, many years. The one-way gyratory which was introduced in the sixties no longer serves the way people travel here. The project leads, Westminster City Could and TfL, recognised that the gyratory is divisive and noisy, traffic dominates at high speed and the wide roads and narrow pavements have been far from pedestrian friendly and embarked on project to remove it. Two-way brings about many improvements, some you will have already experienced; wider pavements, much improved crossings, additional trees and new lighting. The switch will see this dominance of traffic reduced and the focus switched to pedestrians rather than cars – whilst also providing more efficient journeys for vehicles. If you have a moment and want to discover the back story of the project, this article in The Marylebone Journal provides a great overview https://www.marylebonejournal.com/articles/two-directions

Full completion of the project is expected by summer.

More about the Baker Street Two Way Project.