CALIFORNIA ASPHALT INSIDER
The latest news and views from the California Asphalt Pavement Association
Vol. 11, Issue 5    <>    Jan. 29, 2018

 

www.calapa.net 

IN THIS ISSUE
Governor pledges to 'do everything in my power' to protect SB1 road-repair law; federal funding picture remains hazy
Joint Training & Certification Program for materials technicians releases 2018 schedule
Tech Term of the Week: Capillary Action
Quote of the Week: Francis Bacon
CALENDAR
(Always on-line HERE)
 
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'Quality HMA Paving' training class
Tuesday, Feb. 13, 8 a.m. to noon
National University, Rancho Cordova Campus, 10901 Gold Center Drive, Sacramento
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE.
 
 
'Quality HMA Paving' training class
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 8 a.m. to noon
City of San Leandro, 999 E. 14th Street, South Offices Building Conference Room, San Leandro 
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE.
 
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'Quality HMA Paving' training class (& optional lab tour)
Thursday, Feb. 22, 8 a.m. to noon  
University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St.,  Harry Reid Engineering Laboratory Building, Room 109-110, Reno, Nevada
Contact: Ritha Nhorn (916) 791-5044
Register HERE
 
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SAVE THE DATES!
CalAPA Legislative 'Fly-In" to the State Capitol in Sacramento 
March 13-14
Details soon!
Contact: Russell Snyder (916) 791-5044
 
 
SAVE THE DATES!
Spring Asphalt Pavement Conference & Equipment Expo
April 25 & 26, 2018
Doubletree Hotel, 222 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario.
For sponsorship and exhibitor information, contact Sophie You at (916) 791-5044
Details soon!  
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California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)
 
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CalAPA class for City of Sacramento
 



This weekly bulletin contains the latest news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements.
Governor pledges to 'do everything in my power' to protect SB1 road-repair law; federal funding picture remains hazy
Gov. Jerry Brown, speaking at his eighth and final "State of the State" address last week, pledged to "do everything in my power" to protect SB1, the historic transportation infrastructure investment law that is already spawning pavement improvements around the state.

Speaking Jan. 25 at the state Capitol, Democrat Brown spoke mostly of his accomplishments during his fourth and final term in office, which will conclude when a new governor is sworn in next January. Among those highlights he touted was last year's passage of SB1, the Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017, which will generate more than $50 billion over a decade to repair state and local roads and other transportation infrastructure. The bill, which included the first increase in the state's fuel tax since 1994, is intended to reverse years of neglect that has resulted in California having some of the roughest roads in the nation, costing the average motorist more than $700 a year in lost fuel economy and car repairs. It was authored by state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, and signed into law by Brown on April 29.

"Our economy, the sixth largest in the world, depends on mobility, State Capitol which only a modern and efficient transportation system provides," the governor said. "The vote on the gas tax was not easy but it was essential, given the vast network of roads and bridges on which California depends and the estimated $67 billion in deferred maintenance on our infrastructure. Tens of millions of cars and trucks travel over 330 billion miles a year."

The Democratic governor also took the opportunity to let some air out of the tires of Republicans in Washington, D.C., who have been unable to put forward a long-promised federal transportation plan despite controlling both houses of Congress and the White House.

"The funds that SB1 makes available are absolutely necessary if we are going to maintain our roads and transit systems in good repair," the governor said. "Twenty-five other states have raised gas taxes. Even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for a federal gas tax because the highway trust fund is nearly broke.
Government does what individuals can't do, like build roads and bridges and support local bus and light rail systems. This is our common endeavor by which we pool our resources through the public sector and improve all of our lives."

Brown reserved his harshest words for Golden State Republicans and other political operatives who have seized upon the California gas-tax hike as a potential campaign issue, and are mounting a campaign to overturn it at the ballot box.

"Fighting a gas tax may appear to be good politics, but it isn't," Brown said sternly. "I will do everything in my power to defeat any repeal effort that may make it to the ballot."

One repeal effort, backed by Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, a long-shot candidate for governor, failed to generate enough signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot. Another measure, aiming for the November ballot, is still in the signature-gathering stage, and Allen has now thrown his support behind that effort.

Voters will have an opportunity to weigh in on transportation funding in the June 5 primary election when they will consider a Constitutional amendment to protect transportation dollars from being used for other purposes. Known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA5), authored by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Oakley, when it passed the Legislature last year, it does not yet have a ballot designation.

Transportation California, an advocacy group supported by CalAPA, is distributing information about SB1, including a fact sheet and talking-points memo that debunks the "myths" being put forward by SB1 opponents. Transportation California Executive Director Roger Dickinson spoke to the CalAPA Annual Dinner in Los Angeles on Jan. 18. Asphalt Insider coverage of his remarks can be found HERE. You can download the fact sheet HERE and the "myths" memo HERE. As part of the educational effort, CalAPA is distributing sponsored SB1 bumper stickers statewide.

The fuel tax hikes and fees that were part of SB1 took effect last November, and since then state and local agencies have announced they are accelerating hundreds of millions of dollars worth of deferred-maintenance transportation projects. Some are already under construction. A website devoted to SB1 implementation, which includes an interactive map of SB1-funded projects, is HERE.

In Washington, meanwhile, President Trump will deliver his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, and infrastructure is expected to be among the topics addressed. As a candidate, Trump pledged to implement a vast program to improve the nation's infrastructure, including transportation, but his first year in office was dominated by protracted debates in Congress over health care and tax reform. Fissures over immigration policy led to a brief government shut-down earlier this month, and a temporary measure to keep the federal government funded expires in February.

Details of a potential federal transportation infrastructure plan were leaked to the media in recent days, but it has been widely panned and does not address the chronic shortfalls in the federal Highway Trust Fund. Observers remain skeptical that Congress can make meaningful progress on the issue in 2018 with mid-term elections just months away.

CalAPA members will have the opportunity to remind our elected officials of the importance of our transportation infrastructure to the state's economy and quality of life during the CalAPA annual "Fly-In" to the state Capitol in Sacramento, which is scheduled for March 13 and 14. An official announcement will be made soon. In addition, CalAPA and the National Asphalt Pavement Association will be participating again this year at the annual Transportation Construction Coalition "Fly-In" to Washington, D.C., which is scheduled for May 15-17 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. An announcement with details on that event also will be forthcoming.

For additional information, including how to contact your local elected officials, click HERE to visit CalAPA's Legislative Action Page.

Gov. Jerry Brown delivering his eighth and final "State of the State" address Jan. 25 at the Capitol.

Joint Training & Certification Program for materials technicians releases 2018 schedule
The Caltrans Joint Training & Certification Program for materials technicians, which is being managed under an inter-agency agreement with California State University, Long Beach, has released its schedule of classes for 2018.

The Joint Training and Certification Program (JTCP) was established by Caltrans Materials Engineering and Testing Services to achieve consistent training and certification for all technicians involved in the transportation construction industry throughout California. The purpose of the JTCP is to improve the quality of the pavement construction practices that Caltrans and other agencies obtain, and to help reduce conflict and delay on
JTCP instructor Dan Ridolfi (foreground) leads a pilot JTCP class in December.
construction projects within the state. The JTCP was developed in partnership with CSULB's College of Engineering. CalAPA and other construction trade associations have endorsed the program.

Beginning this year, the JTCP is the official program for industry and agency personnel to obtain the necessary certifications for work requiring Caltrans testing certifications.

The classes will be held beginning in February and throughout the year on the campus of Cal State Long Beach and also at California State University, San Jose. The main Joint Training & Certification Program (JTCP) website is HERE. A direct link to the Hot Mix Asphalt I class schedule (including test methods covered) is HERE. A direct link to the Hot Mix Asphalt II schedule is HERE. A direct link to the Soils and Aggregate schedule is HERE. A direct link to the Portland Cement Concrete schedule of classes is HERE.

There are strict prerequisites, including completion of a safety quiz, that must be completed prior to registering for a class. Click HERE to learn more. A "Frequently Asked Questions" page is HERE.

As an aid to those familiarizing themselves with the new
JTCP Instructor Dave Aver (at white board) teaching a pilot JTCP class last December.
program, CalAPA has created a "Joint Training & Certification Program Resource Page" on the CalAPA website HERE. A July 17, 2017 Asphalt Insider newsletter article reporting on the official launch of the JTCP program is HERE. An Oct. 23, 2017 Asphalt Insider update is HERE. The program is actively recruiting instructors for the program. To learn more, click HERE.

The Caltrans program manager overseeing the program is Jeremy Peterson-Self. He can be reached at (916) 227-7162. The lead contact for the program at CSULB is Dr. Shadi Saadeh. He can be reached at: (562) 985-4147.

Attendees participate in the hands-on portion of the HMA technician pilot class last month at San Jose State University.

Tech Term of the Week

Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other reference commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.

CAPILLARY ACTION: The rise or movement of water in the voids of a soil caused by capillary forces.
 
Quote of the Week

"Wise men make more opportunities than they find."
 
                                 Francis Bacon        
 
We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis and events in California that may impact the asphalt pavement industry. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.

 

Sincerely,

 


Russell W. Snyder, CAE 
Executive Director
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)

The California Asphalt Insider is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information or to inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to send us an e-mail.
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