Yesterday, the CTC circulated an email about their response to the government on the latest round of HS2 consultations, in which they stated that the group is officially neutral on the project itself, whilst making objection on technical details such as acceptance of bikes on the trains themselves, making road changes around the new line safe for cycling, access to the stations, and safe construction practices.
All of this is, of course, very worthwhile, and I understand why many in CTC might want to support investment in a rail scheme like HS2, especially if it was a genuine alternative to yet more road building. However, I replied as follows, pointing out that there really is nothing about HS2 to be neutral about at all, and how it is a terrible project in terms of failing connecting into the existing network and promoting development in edge of town locations instead of city centres. None of this, combined with the huge volume of rail traffic that will be induced, aligns itself with the values which I think most CTC members will hold dear.
Yet as we have now found out today from the Autumn budget statement, the real issue with HS2 is a much more basic one, and this is that the government is shovelling cash into road and rail projects by the truckload, whilst cutting back on spending for cycling. The sum announced for cycling outside London now stands at just £300m, or a mile and a half worth of HS2 phase 1.
We need to understand that the continued existence of nonsense like this:
Is directly related to this:
WE really can and must do better than this:
MY response to CTC:
The point I made at the very first “Go Dutch” conference in London was that it was actually entirely reasonable for bicycle users to be critical of the whole HS2 scheme, for the simple reason that it is a vast diversion of transport budget, when so much more could be delivered for a lot less money if investment was made in local services.
Whilst I have long been an advocate of high speed rail as an alternative to short haul flying, HS2 will have little impact on this market, as many of the London <> Northern England routes have already seen substantial swings towards rail, whereas the time saving to the key Scotland markets is insufficient to capture anything like the modal share swings that are being claimed.
However, it is at the much more local level that HS2 does indeed deserve a great deal more scrutiny. Medium sized cities like Coventry, Leicester, Derby, Wakefield and so on will gain very little if anything from HS2, as their main through services will be diverted elsewhere. The total failure of HS2 to integrate properly with the existing network in cities like Birmingham, whilst serving sprawling parkway stations in cities like Nottingham and Sheffield, can only go against previous movements towards high quality inner city living on brown field sites.
That is why I see little with HS2 that is compatible with most of the movements cycle campaigners are aligned with.
I have frequently pointed out that the cost of a mere mile of Phase 1 of HS2, now running at around £200m, could be used to bring entire cities the size of Coventry, or indeed perhaps Sheffield, up to Dutch cycling standards.
The government has a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to create a transport network which is safe and equitable for all, and in particular which considers the protected characteristics of age, gender and disability. Our local road network is and remains totally unfit for purpose.
HS2 can only take us further away from these more pressing local needs.
Whilst I understand that CTC is a diverse membership organisation which might not wish to oppose this scheme outright, I hope you don’t mind me saying loud and clear that HS2 deserves every bit of criticism it gets.
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