It's that time of year again -- time to take CalAPA's annual

"Better-Worse" survey.

Now in its 17th year, the annual survey gauges the mood of

Asphalt Insider readers about the upcoming year, and also asks readers to share thoughts on challenges they face. The on-line survey takes about 1 minute to complete and can be accessed HERE.

The deadline to participate is Nov. 21. A story on the results of last year's "Better-Worse" survey appeared on Page 22 of the association's annual forecast issue of California Asphalt magazine HERE.

A year ago respondents were decidedly more pessimistic than the year prior, a stunning U-turn in sentiment not seen to that extent in previous surveys. Those who take the survey are also asked to state the No. 1 challenge they face at work.

A summary of the results from this survey will be included in a future issue of Asphalt Insider. More detailed data from the survey will be included in an upcoming issue of the association's official magazine, California Asphalt, as well as the comprehensive 2027 Asphalt Market Forecast for California, which is published annually and is an exclusive benefit of CalAPA membership. To learn how to access this and other CalAPA member benefits, click HERE or contact CalAPA at (916) 791-5044.

The asphalt industry has no shortage of acronyms. To this list we'd like to add one more: AIEI. The acronym stands for "Asphalt Innovate Enlighten Implement." The AIEI program is a cooperative agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and the University of Nevada, Reno, and is supported by many other organizations with acronyms that have been prominently featured in this publication, including NAPA, the Asphalt Institute, NCAT and several other respected entities too numerous to list here. The main AIEI website is HERE.

The program, which launched in 2023, states that it was created to "accelerate the development, and adoption of innovative asphalt pavement technologies that improve performance, enhance durability, and reduce risk for transportation agencies." Some activities that have been rolled out by the AIEI group include educational webinars and technical reports.

Two timely tech briefs that have come out of the AIEI incubator were recently highlighted on a call of the Asphalt Pavement Alliance, which is another collaborative venture between NAPA, the Asphalt Institute and state asphalt pavement associations, including CalAPA. The tech briefs focus on promising work and field evaluations of so-called "hi-mod" mixes that are showing promise for boosting durability and value for asphalt pavements on interstate highways, otherwise known as high polymer modified asphalt (HP) binders and mixtures.

A "Tech Brief" of the strategic opportunities and gaps in knowledge of hi-mod mixes, published in May, is HERE. It includes lessons learned from state DOTs, which has caused a buzz in places like Utah and Missouri. A follow-up "Tech Snapshot," published in August, is HERE.

Our special thanks to Asphalt Institute Regional Engineer Jhony Habbouche for sharing these important resources.


Registration is now open for one of the most prestigious asphalt industry events of the year, the CalAPA Annual All-Member Meeting and Awards Dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at the opulent Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles. On-line registration is HERE. It should be noted that the event will take place on Wednesday evening, not Thursday evening, as was the case last year.

In addition to a special recognition of association leaders for 2027, the elegant dinner will feature the honoring of nationally renowned asphalt expert Dr. John Harvey of the University of California, Davis and longtime director of the University of California Pavement Research Center as well as the City-County Pavement Improvement Center. Professor Harvey, who has been at the forefront of important asphalt research, including groundbreaking work on long-life (perpetual) asphalt pavement designs now being implemented statewide, will be inducted into the CalAPA "Hall of Fame" as an "Honorary Member."

The evening will also feature keynote remarks from Kiana Valentine, executive director of Transportation California and a charismatic champion for road funding and accountability. She'll provide insight into Capitol politics and policy, and discuss the future of road funding as we enter the EV era. Other special recognitions will be part of the program, which will help write a new and colorful chapter in the association's storied 73-year history. A gala reception kicks off the event at 5:30 p.m., followed by an elegant "surf and turf" dinner, decadent desert and selections of fine wine. A special rooftop after-party, perfect for Master of the Universe "selfies," will round out the festivities.

The annual tradition is popular with members and spouses alike. Space is limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged. The event website also has details about discounted lodging options, parking, and the all important dress code (business attire), which is strictly enforced by the Jonathan Club.

For information on this event, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jackie Henry of CalAPA at 916-791-5044. To view photos from the 2026 CalAPA Annual Dinner, click HERE to view a special report that appeared in California Asphalt magazine, the Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association.

The Nov. 3 general election is right around the corner, and the ballot seems as long as a city phone book (remember those?). Still, there are a number of consequential offices and initiatives on the ballot, with local, statewide and national consequences.

And if it's campaign season, then it's time for mailboxes stuffed with political detritus, clogged social media feeds and airwaves crackling with campaign ads (the attack ads invariably feature the most unflattering photo of an opponent, in black-and-white).

Asphalt Insider would like to take this opportunity to thank our fellow Californians for doing their civic duty to pull out their ballots and make their voice heard above the din. We also salute those who are making preparations to head to their local polling place on Election Day. According to the Secretary of State, more than 3 million Californians have already cast their ballots, including 189 hardy souls in tiny Alpine County and nearly 600,000 in sprawling Los Angeles County, with many millions more ballots to be received and tallied by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Then will come the post-election analysis of what it all means for our nation, our state and our industry. We'll do our best to help our readers make sense of it all. But it all starts with the bulging ballot that was sent to every registered voter in California. Perhaps Susan B. Anthony put it best when she said, "Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it."

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

AASHTO: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. An organization of highway engineers from the 50 states that develops guidelines and standards.

Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.

RECORD RETENTION AFTER PROJECT COMPLETION: Take a final photograph of the site for your records and retain all records from the project including: copies of all truck delivery tickets and record of all the temperature recordings and compaction readings you took during the project.

Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.

CARBON NEUTRALITY: Net zero emission achieved through carbon offsets and elimination.

Editor's Note: As a convenience to our readers, Asphalt Insider reports the most current Caltrans "Statewide Crude Oil Price Index" posting. The department posts this monthly on its public website HERE. The index is used to calculate payment adjustments for paving asphalt under special provisions section "Payment Adjustments for Price Index Fluctuations" in those projects containing the section. The department posts the index on or about the first business day of the month using the daily Brent crude oil prices from the previous month as reported by Business Insider. Inquiries about the index should be directed to Caltrans at: Oil.Index@dot.ca.gov .

October 2026: $557.6 ($/ton)

Last month: $481.3.4

1 year ago: $364.5

"In rain any street not paved with macadam oozed a fragrant muck of horse manure, mud, and garbage that swelled between granite blocks like pus from a wound."

– Erik Larson ("The Devil in the White City")

In last week's report on a Knife River asphalt plant tour for U.S. Rep. James Gallagher (CA-01), the first name of CalAPA's Legislative Committee Chair was misspelled in one reference. It is Aimi Dutra. Also, in a photo caption the first name of Marc Ingvoldsen of Knife River was incorrectly reported as Eric.

It is the policy of this publication to correct errors or omissions promptly. To contact the editor directly click HERE.

We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter, widely regarded as the most influential publication of its type in California. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.

Sincerely,

Russell W. Snyder, CAE

Executive Director

The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®