Officials from the Foxfield Racing Association, Albermarle County, Virginia's Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving met yesterday afternoon to discuss new safety measures for the spring Foxfield Races, which are popular among many University students.
The ABC is investigating the Foxfield Racing Association following reports by MADD of public drunkenness, drunk driving and heavy traffic in residential areas near the race track, located off of Barracks Road.
The ABC plans to issue its report within several weeks.
Jill Ingram, a fourth-year College student and the president for youth issues at MADD, delivered a speech at the meeting outlining the organization's safety recommendations but did not attend the later closed session, upon the request of Foxfield Racing Association President J. Benjamin Dick.
Dick said he did not want representatives from a politically charged organization such as MADD present during the closed portion of the meeting.
"I think MADD has a good mission, but they've got a political agenda," said Dick, who headed up the meeting with Albemarle County Executive Robert Tucker.
Ingram suggested limiting the number of people allowed into the races to 20,000. This year, a record high of between 28,000 and 30,000 spectators attended the April event.
Ingram also proposed increasing the number of police inside the gates and providing more booths with non-alcoholic beverages.
"The safety of our streets and of our community members is forefront in our efforts, not politics," she said.
In closed session, all parties compared notes and compiled a list of new safety measures and procedures for the 2002 Foxfield Races.
"The biggest surprise was that almost all of our ideas mirrored each other without ever having met before," Dick said.
The Foxfield Racing Association has agreed to consider restricting the number of people who attend the races, Dick said.
Officials present at the meeting also stressed the need for more law enforcement, something the Racing Association now is planning. Road check points also will be set up outside the Foxfield gates, Dick said.
The Racing Association agreed to start a designated driver program as well.
Dick praised the University for increasing the number of buses used to transport students to and from the races but emphasized the need for students to better "police themselves."
"Binge drinking is not going to be accepted anymore," he said. "People can't just come to the races and get ripped."
The Foxfield Racing Association has formed a small group to help implement the new safety measures by April 2002.
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