People Friendly Salisbury now officially suspended
ALL vehicles can now drive through the city centre
Last updated 1st Dec 2020
The controversial low traffic zone, which banned all traffic except for certain vehicles,has now been removed.
Wiltshire Council confirmed the People Friendly Scheme would finish at the end of November after barely six weeks following what it described as an "explicit lack of support" from Salisbury City Council.
City bosses along with the Salisbury BID and our local MP had voiced concerns about the timing of the scheme during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The gateway points on Castle Street, Fisherton Street and Catherine Street have now been removed.
The local authority has also confirmed that no penalty charge notices were issued for the duration of the experimental scheme.
The cost of the first stage of the People Friendly Salisbury project is £561,565.
DISAPPOINTED
Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, said:
“We are disappointed to have suspended People Friendly Salisbury, as Salisbury City Council would not offer its continued support for the scheme.
“Early monitoring of the scheme showed that it had not increased traffic on the A36 outside of the normal range and that traffic in the Low Traffic Zone had been reduced by around 50%, improving air quality in the centre and giving pedestrians more opportunities to socially distance. Average speeds in the city also decreased. However, without the support of partners and stakeholders, we cannot continue with the scheme at this stage."
MONITORING
Anonymised monitoring sensors remain in place at key points in the city to monitor traffic volumes, queue lengths, cycle usage, pedestrian social distancing, and other metrics.
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PIPELINE
Council bosses are also bidding for further funding for more environmentally forms of transport.
“We hope that the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) will still look favourably on our bid for £1.3m of funding for improvements in the city, including cycling facilities, new bus shelters, Shopmobility improvements, an electric car club vehicle, enhanced public seating areas and improved signage.
“This has been a challenging year for all of Wiltshire’s businesses, and I hope that during the run-up to Christmas, people support our independent businesses by shopping locally as much as possible.”