Over the past several years, Rick Ross’ car and bike show has drawn thousands of excited enthusiasts to Fayetteville to admire custom builds and rare vehicles at the rapper’s spacious Promise Land estate.
Ross’ larger-than-life persona has helped quickly grow the fourth annual event, but that also has led to headaches for both law enforcement and residents who have dealt with severe traffic, littering, heavy congestion, loitering and illegal parking in the area, authorities said. On top of all that, a permit issue nearly brought the event to a grinding halt two years ago over those noise and traffic concerns.
On Wednesday, law enforcement and officials in both Fayette County and South Fulton said they are prepared for the June 7 event, are working closely with Ross’ camp and would be out in force this year. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people attended the show in 2024.
“Covering this event is extremely important for us, because historically, we’ve seen significant problems as it relates to the Rick Ross car show,” South Fulton police Chief Keith Meadows said during a news conference in front of the department’s mobile command center.
On the day of the show, that massive vehicle will be posted across the street from the estate to monitor traffic and surveillance and to communicate with officers in the field to keep things running smoothly, the chief said. It will assist some of the more than 150 Fulton officers working the event. Their top priority is traffic control and public safety, Meadows added.
Officers will work extra hours and be positioned at key intersections and hot spots along Old National Highway, the main road that leads to the estate. Heavy traffic is expected between 7-11 a.m. and again between 4-11 p.m. Residents are advised to avoid the highway unless necessary, and “no parking” signs will be posted along it and in surrounding subdivisions.
“Certainly, it’s important for them to be able to take surface streets behind the Old National corridor leading up to their respective subdivisions,” the chief said.
To be more proactive this year, event officials have been going door to door to about 300 houses to drop off a packet of information. It includes placards to hang in residents’ cars so they can move freely. Officers and deputies with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office will be stationed in those subdivisions, and at least 20 tow trucks will be in the area to help. Parking violators will be towed without warning.
In a statement, Fulton officials said it was “one of the largest single-day public safety operations handled each year.”
Fayette sheriff’s Chief Deputy Anthony Rhodes, whose office has handled the event for four years, said they also do a lot of planning, including putting up signs and letting residents know there is a major event going on.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Flyers will also be handed out to local businesses to give them helpful tips about managing the flow of traffic at their establishments.
In an effort to limit traffic disruptions, attendees should refrain from using rideshare services. There are designated parking areas and a mandatory shuttle/bus service that will take them to the event, officials said. The designated parking lots are specified on tickets.
Another big problem during the event is littering, so officers will be stationed in areas already identified by police. A year ago, trash covered the parking lot of a nearby Kroger after the show ended. Meadows said they are working with businesses to ensure their parking lots are managed this year.
“It was horrendous,” the chief said of the scene outside the grocery store. “Certainly, it’s not our responsibility to patrol their parking lots, but we want to partner with them in our effort to make sure that their businesses aren’t disrupted, along with the littering taking place.”
In 2023, the show almost didn’t happen. It faced immense scrutiny when Fayette officials denied the event’s permit due to concerns over traffic, crowds and noise. The permit was eventually approved, partly due to assurances by Ross that he’d make sure to address traffic issues.
Credit: Caroline Silva
Credit: Caroline Silva
This year, Meadows noted he was “pleasantly surprised” by the level of involvement by Ross’ camp, noting they have been meeting since March. Meanwhile, South Fulton Mayor Pro Tem Linda Becquer-Pritchett said she “finally got a table with Rick Ross’ team” on Wednesday morning.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Rick Ross car show administrator Alexander Bostic said their preparations began last year. After hearing the concerns from residents, they’ve extended lots and off-site parking locations while adding buses. There will be about 50 that will transport event-goers each hour, officials said.
But a major difference is how they communicated with attendees by texting them important details from the start of the ticket purchase, Bostic said. Tickets for attendees, VIPs and car/bike participants range from $250 to $750, while the cost for each vendor and food truck is $3,500. Ticket proceeds will go toward the event, which Bostic noted also helps businesses in the area financially.
Following a reported lawsuit filed by a man who cited a lack of wheelchair access at the show last year, Bostic said those issues were addressed. They will have Americans with Disabilities Act accessible buses and restrooms for attendees this year.
“(Rick Ross) is 1,000% committed based on the infrastructure that we put in place. We have more police staff this year, more cleaning crew staff (and) more tow trucks this year. So whatever concerns the community had, he’s addressing it one by one,” Bostic said.
South Fulton fire crews will also be there with a simple goal: assist with safety and provide EMS. The department has added extra apparatus, alerted hospitals in the area and partnered with officials in Fayette, Clayton County, College Park and Grady Memorial Hospital to “assure that we have enough transport units in the area,” according to Chief Chad Jones.
Meadows added that his officers were told to respond “with a certain degree of measure to make sure our ordinances are upheld” and that “bad behavior during this event won’t be tolerated.”
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