Starting from outside Birmingham City Council at 1pm, (Victoria Square, Birmingham)
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WHAT ARE WE DOING AGAIN?
Going for a bike ride together. To grab a liberating taste of what the roads could feel like if they weren't dominated by motorists. We'll cycle at a leisurely pace, mostly along the A45 itself, to Birmingham International Airport, to get a feel of the land, draw the links and create some pretty shots for the press.

TRANSPORT
Aim to arrive at Victoria Square in front of Birmingham City Council House at 1 o'clock, for a 1.30 departure.

If you're travelling from London (Marylebone) or Leamington Spa, get the Chiltern Line train to Moor Street or Snow Hill (no restrictions on bikes), and pedal the short distance with the help of google maps, or there should be someone to meet you.

On the way back, from Birmingham International station, bike spaces are limited on Cross Country trains, so either book a space or chance it. We can guide some people to Marston Green (connections to Coventry and Birmingham New St, although London Midland also have limited spaces). Some of us are also planning to cycle back to Birmingham.

 http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Travelling_with_us/Cyclists.aspx
 http://www.londonmidland.com/your-journey/bicycle-policy/


WHAT TO BRING
a bike! If you don't have one but are keen to come, email us at  brum-international-creative-action@googlegroups.com and we will do our best to get you one. :)

food (for a bring-and-share picnic afternoon tea by the aiport)
water, sun cream, waterproof (just in case)
please 'dress for climate code RED'!


SOME MORE DETAIL ON THE WHY
Flights are the fastest growing cause of greenhouse gas emissions, and with apparent the success of protests against the expansion of Heathrow and Stansted down South, Birmingham and Manchester are now the new aviation front line in the UK.

The struggle to prevent a new runway at Birmingham has been amazingly successful. However the extension of the existing runway, (approved by the council late last year), would massively increase capacity, and allow for bigger planes to travel to more distant destinations. We're not talking a few feet of extra concrete here- almost a third of the existing runway again would be pushed out into the neighboring land. There's talk that the proposed high speed rail link will make Birmingham a 'London Airport' and take up the pollution the west of the Capital can no longer face.

The extension can be prevented. Passenger numbers have dropped significantly at Birmingham in the last year, and the company is so financially stricken that they can't afford to move the road themselves, or contribute to it's moving, as would normally be the case in situations like this.

So instead they want taxpayers to pay up to fund their profits. Birmingham and Solihull Councils simply don't have £32 million spare to needlessly shift some tarmac a few hundred yards. Public services are under massive pressure, which would you rather have- teachers or tarmac, nurses or climate chaos?

So why are the Councils supporting such crazyness? A frequently-cited argument in defence of airport expansion is the jobs it will create. Unfortunately the figures are hugely exaggerated and based on very questionable surveys. Between 1998-2004 direct airport employment went down, despite passenger numbers increasing by 30 per cent. Indeed, the jobs depend on high tax subsidies, and airlines are increasingly minimising their staff numbers whilst increasing passenger numbers.

In terms of its supposed contribution to the local economy, the expansion of aviation often creates a ‘tourism deficit’ as more people leave the country to spend their money abroad than vice versa. This equated to -£1680 million in 2005, which translates to 88000 jobs. Travel is not as high a business location factor as commonly thought: in fact many prefer video conferencing.

WHO's BEHIND IT?
This event is the idea of a coalition of students from across the area, with the support of Plane Stupid. facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121679627847335, or type
'Ride Down the Road' under events
email:  brum-international-creative-action@googlegroups.com

PLEASE circulate this to friends, family, fellow cyclists - anyone who would be up for it. Let's greet the newly/re-elected Birmingham City and Solihull councilors with our firm opposition to their aiding of the airport expansion.