Scrapped HS2 bike path could have been five times better value than HS2

Campaigners argue that the business case for the project was a 'no-brainer'A scrapped "emerald necklace" cycleway up the spine of the country alongside HS2 would have delivered a return on investment of up to five times greater than the rail project itself, an FoI request has revealed - but neither the government nor HS2 Ltd will fund it.A 50-page report outlining the business case for the national cycleway, obtained by the Guardian, reveals health, congestion and economic benefits of between ?3 and ?8 per ?1 spent. The return on investment of HS2 itself, meanwhile, is just ?1.5-?1.7 per ?1, according to the National Audit Office. Campaigners say completing the cycleway should have been a "no-brainer". Continue reading...