The Salisbury Transport Strategy (STS) was first published in 2009 and included assessments of the highway network, walking and cycling network and a review of public transport service provision. 1 The 2009 publication provided evidence that travel in Salisbury was car dominated (approximately 90%) for journeys to / from and within Salisbury that impacted on congestion and air quality in and around the city. The increasing heavy traffic and a lack of sufficient walking and cycling facilities (safe crossings, dedicated and well signed routes etc) was viewed as a deterrent to walking and cycling. As such there was a conclusion that a focus on sustainable travel was required to ensure that the transport system was delivered for everybody.
The Salisbury Transport Strategy (STS) was refreshed in 2018. 2 One of the strategic themes in the main summary of the document was to reduce city centre congestion. This strategic approach would improve access for all modes of transport, and improve the safety of all users of Salisbury city centre transport network to ensure that the city remains an attractive location to live and work in. In addition to reducing congestion in the city centre another strategy was to improve all pedestrian/cycle routes that lead into the city centre. The plans to reduce vehicle congestion within the city ring road would have major positive advantages for active travel, accessibility for local buses and park and ride buses as well as improving the attractiveness of the city centre.
With approximately half of Salisbury’s economically active residents working in the city it is important to stress that walking is the primary commuting mode for those travelling to the city (41%) with only 36% travelling by car, 9% by bus and cycling accounting for 7% of journeys to work. 2 Such figures i.e. walking and cycling account for 50% of journeys, indicate that many residents value active travel modes to and from the city as opposed to passive modes such as driving.
Interestingly, whilst the number of people cycling has increased in other UK cities 3, the low number of journeys undertaken in Salisbury by bike (7%) reflect a reluctance by those living and working in Salisbury to cycle. This is primarily as cyclists inform COGS that they do not feel safe on Salisbury roads due to lack of provision of safe cycling infrastructure.
Since the STP was developed in 2018 there has been little or no investment nor realistic solutions to the current road infrastructure. During this time there has been a substantial development of residential housing on the outskirts of the city in Harnham, St Peter’s Place and Longhedge. This has resulted in increased volumes of traffic using the existing road space as few viable safe alternatives have been provided to those walking or cycling.
The Salisbury Transport Strategy (1998) data demonstrated that through traffic on Churchill Way represented ~29% of the total traffic, with ~36% of traffic being local (within Salisbury/Wilton) and ~36% either starting or ending their journey in Salisbury/Wilton. (See STS Assessment Report, April 2001, Table below). WC’s own data has demonstrated that ~70% of the congestion is a result of local traffic and therefore only 30% of that traffic is actually through traffic. As cited above the Salisbury Transport Plan (refreshed 2018) provided alternative solutions to congestion in and around Salisbury) and should be prioritised and carried out prior to the junction work proceeding at Exeter street roundabout and the gyratory (Atkins, 2018)
Current Status: The Salisbury Transport Strategy is now part of the broader Wiltshire Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4), which was endorsed in March 2025 and is discussed elsewhere. We were informed by Wiltshire Council late December 2025 that a refresh of the Salisbury Transport Strategy will be published late 2026. We will be in discussion with Wiltshire Council to determine what this actually means in terms of changes within the city at that point in time.
Advantages: The Salisbury Transport Strategy aimed to improve mobility and sustainability in the city and advantages included safer roads and reduced accidents, encouraging walking and cycling, reducing congestions through improved traffic flow, better bus services and improvements in park and ride all of which would align with the economic development and residential expansion across the city.
Disadvantages: due to the lack of implementation of measures to control traffic congestion the city suffers from poor air quality largely caused by traffic. The city centre experiences significant congestion due to excessive volumes of vehicles. Open source data records a range of 5400-9000 (with up to an additional 400-1000 heavy good vehicles) vehicle movements per day over each week on Castle St, 4 whilst there are 2880-5000 vehicle movements on Fisherton St ((with up to an additional 600-900) heavy good vehicles). 5 Such high volumes of vehicle movements have a negative impact on walking and cycling and the economic vibrancy of the city commercial sector through footfall reductions. There has been a lack of investment and provision of public transport options (local buses and park and ride) as well as a lack of prioritisation of walking and cycling routes.
Recommendations: Aspects of the Salisbury Transport Strategy need to be implemented to manage traffic volumes and access to the main carparks. Such a strategy would i) reduce the volume of vehicles passing through the city centre, ii) improve walking and cycling rates, ii) increase the use of public buses and park and ride iv) reduce the number of vehicle related incidents in the city and v) improve safety of the city centre for all users.
Citations
1. Atkins. Salisbury Transport Strategy – Final Problems and Issues. (2009).
2. Atkins. Salisbury Transport Strategy Draft Strategy Refresh 2018 Wiltshire Council. https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/s143325/Draft%20Salisbury%20Transport%20Strategy%20Refresh%20Atkins%20May%202018.pdf (2018).
3. National Infrastructure Commission. Running out of road Investing in cycling in Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford. (2018).
4. Telraam. Telraam multi-modal traffic monitoring. Castle Street, Salisbury. https://telraam.net/en/location/9000006173. (2025).
5. Telraam. Telraam multi-modal traffic monitoring. Fisherton Street, Salisbury. https://telraam.net/en/location/9000005740. (2025).