Consultation on permanent weekday road closure of South Carriage Drive
South Carriage Drive final trial
In 2024, we carried out a six-week, public consultation on a potential permanent weekday closure of South Carriage Drive. Since then, the road has remained closed to vehicular traffic while we have been working with partners to develop and assess options for the safe integration of cyclists, horses, and pedestrians at Hyde Park Corner alongside the Park Lane Cycle Superhighway.
We have now completed a series of trial phases in partnership with TfL and are preparing to undertake one final trial to bring together and test the proposed arrangements in full.
Once this final trial has concluded, we will publish a detailed analysis of all trial results on our website. This will inform the permanent design and the final decision on the future of South Carriage Drive.
Until the conclusion of this final trial, the road will remain closed to vehicular traffic.
Background
Historically, South Carriage Drive has always been closed to traffic on Sundays. In 2020, we consulted on and trialled an extension of this closure to include Saturdays, as part of our commitment to reducing the volume of cut-through traffic in the park, improving the park experience for visitors and to open new spaces for everyone to enjoy.
However, at the same time, TfL introduced a new cycle lane on Park Lane that intersects with South Carriage Drive. To address safety concerns between cars and cyclists, we temporarily closed South Carriage Drive to all traffic, seven days a week. This has been in place for more than three years.
Our priority is to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists experience a safe and welcoming entrance to the park every day.
For more information about cycling in the Royal Parks, please visit our cycling hub: Cycling in The Royal Parks