California Asphalt Pavement Association
Vol. 14, Issue 23 || June 7, 2021
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Greetings!
This weekly report contains news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry, customers and agency partners in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements. To provide feedback or story ideas click HERE. Having difficulty viewing this newsletter? View as Webpage
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Registration open: CalAPA 'Day at the Races' at Del Mar returns July 17; early sign-up recommended |
After a year of pandemic-induced lockdowns and other misery, we have medicine almost as powerful as a COVID-19 vaccine -- the return of our popular "Day at the Races" networking event July 17 at beautiful Del Mar Race Track
Registration is now open for the family-friendly event, which will be held Saturday, July 17 on the festive opening weekend of the historic seaside track. CalAPA has once again secured a luxury "skybox" overlooking the finish line. Space is limited so early registration is strongly recommended. Our last Del Mar event sold out quickly. For additional details and on-line registration, click HERE.
Past attendees tell us the Del Mar event is a classy way to spend quality time with family, recognize star employees or special customers. And who knows? You just might see the next superstar horse in the making. Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome raced at Del Mar prior to his legendary run for the roses in 2014, and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah made his debut at Del Mar before his historic Triple Crown win in 2015.
The "Star Fiddle Skyroom" boasts panoramic views from a private balcony close to the finish line, an adjoining climate-controlled suite with ample seating, private betting windows, access to grounds, a fabulous lunch, snacks and a no-host bar. There is special pricing to encourage families to attend.
Space is limited, so early registration is strongly advised. COVID-19 precautions will be in pace for the safety and comfort of all attendees. For more information on this event, contact CalAPA Member Services Manager Sophie You at (916) 791-5044.
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CalAPA's luxury "skybox" at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has a panoramic view of all the racing action, plus private betting windows and a no-host bar. Lunch, snacks and refreshments are included. |
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American Pharoah made his debut at Del Mar before going on to win the 2015 Triple Crown, becoming only the 12th horse in history to achieve the feat. The bay colt is pictured with Victor Espinoza aboard. |
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Opening weekend festivities at Del Mar include impressive hat fashions in the CalAPA suite and throughout the park. The seaside track, opened in 1937 by Bing Crosby, is considered one of the most beautiful thoroughbred racing venues in the world. |
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Commentary: Climate action looks a lot like transportation inaction |
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The introduction of a draft report recently released by the California State Transportation Agency on transportation and climate change sets the tone for the 38 pages that follow:
"As the largest contributor of California’s greenhouse gas emissions — with tailpipe emissions accounting for roughly 40 percent of all emissions — the transportation sector is the largest contributor to the climate crisis and must do more to tackle it head-on. The climate crisis directly impacts the health and safety of all Californians and disproportionately affects our low-income communities, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, and other populations facing inequities. With climate change exacerbating the frequency and severity of natural disasters — from extreme heat and drought to unprecedented storms and wildfires — we need to prepare and adapt our transportation system to withstand, respond to, and recover quickly from these extreme events. These events not only have direct economic implications but also take a significant toll on the physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being of Californians."
The introduction goes on for another 425 words and never once mentions "fix," "repair," "construction" or "transportation improvement project." Yet these are the symbols most Californians identify with getting our neglected transportation system from its current sorry state to where it needs to be. Indeed, Senate Bill 1, the $50 billion "Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017," placed projects to fix transportation as the chief justification for asking California taxpayers to pay billions more taxes and fees. Since then, the "fix it first" projects that were expected to flow from SB1 haven't materialized to anyone's satisfaction. Instead, there is a steady stream of plans, regulations and meetings that don't do a thing to improve soul-crushing congestion, teeth-rattling potholes or other quality-of-life diminishers that can loosely be put in the category of "promises made, promises not kept." Meanwhile, the latest version of the governor's proposed budget for 2021-22 seeks to add another 500 people to the transportation bureaucracy already bursting at the seams with more than 20,000 employees (and 20,000 pensions), a historic high. In other words, climate action is starting to look a lot like transportation inaction.
CalAPA, for one, has cast a jaundiced eye toward the CalSTA "Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure," or CAPTI. For starters, it was drafted in secret by government bureaucrats, and then released to stakeholders, in the middle of a pandemic, with just four months for interested parties to study its arcane provisions and discern their impact on the real world of transportation. In media interviews, CalAPA has characterized CAPTI and other administration initiatives in this space as "muddled."
Perhaps as a state slowly recovers from a public health crisis, and the governor focuses his attention on a looming recall election, bloated plans like CAPTI and their ilk can be run thorugh a "reality check" filter so that transportation planners can get back to the basics that have worked for over a century, fixing things. As noted in the CalAPA CAPTI comment letter, "Various references in the CAPTI report to altering project ranking systems is cause for grave concern to our industry. It could arbitrarily result in eliminating highway projects desperately needed to improve mobility and the quality of life for so many communities in California." In other words, it runs counter to the spirit of SB1 and, to borrow a phrase from the current presidential administration, to ambitious goals to "build back better." There is a reason why "build" is the first word in that slogan.
To read more, the CalSTA CAPTI page is HERE. The draft plan is HERE. CalAPA's official comment letter is HERE.
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Cal/OSHA issues new guidance on COVID-19 safety standards in the workplace |
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The Cal/OSHA Occupational Safety and health Standards Board voted last week to adopt new workplace standards related to COVID-19, for the first time making a distinction for how employers can treat vaccinated and non-vaccinated workers.
The proposed changes to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), which could take effect June 15, will allow workplaces to dispense with wearing of masks and physical distancing if all employees at the location have been vaccinated for COVID-19. The new guidance once again places the onus on employers to document which workers have been vaccinated, and what other safety measures should be put in place in the event that a workplace has a mix of vaccinated and non-vaccinated workers. It also calls for employers to provide N-95 masks to any employee who wants one.
The meeting of the standards board was contentious, with representatives of employer groups saying the new guidance will create more confusion in the workplace. The seven-member board initially voted not to approve the guidance, but later reversed itself when it realized that the current more stringent guidance would remain in place..Cal/OSHA said it may further refine the guidance based on feedback from employers and workers. Virtually no one was satisfied with the outcome, which apparently will require workers to wear masks on the job for the time being.
A press announcement about the new standards voted on by the standards board on June 3 is HERE. To view the full text of the proposed temporary standards, click HERE. Additional information, including updated FAQs, can be found HERE. According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been 3,689,994 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California since the disease was first reported in the state last year, resulting in 62,470 deaths. |
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Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS: Refers to the Standard Specifications published periodically by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Standard Specifications can be modified by Revised Standard Specifications (RSS).
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Paving Pointer of the Week |
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.
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG: Call 8-1-1 prior to construction when plans call for any type of excavation so that the location of underground utilities can be verified and marked. More information on the 8-1-1 program in California can be found HERE.
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"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."
-- Oscar Wilde
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CALAPA CALENDAR:
View all CalAPA events HERE.
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"Principles & Best Practices for Asphalt Plant Operations" on-line class
Tuesday & Wednesday, June 8 & 9 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
"Understanding the Job Mix Formula" on-line class
Tuesday, June 15 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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SOLD OUT!
CalAPA member-only Golf Outing
Monarch Bay Golf Links, Dana Point.
Tuesday, June 22
Event is sold out but sponsorships are available. Contact Sophie You at CalAPA at (916) 791-5044 for details.
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"Troubleshooting HMA Production" on-line class
Thursday, June 24, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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"Asphalt Forensics" on-line class
Tuesday & Wednesday, June 29 & 30, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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REGISTRATION OPEN!
"Day at the Races" at Del Mar Race Track
Saturday, July 17
Contact: Sophie You (916) 791-5044.
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PAVEXpress, the popular (and free!) on-line pavement design software now includes a module for calculating Life-Cycle Cost Assessment (LCCA).
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There's never been a better time to join the California Asphalt Pavement Association. Members receive insight and advanced notice on critical issues that impact every company's bottom line. CalAPA members also receive invitations to exclusive member-only events, in-depth "Member Alerts," discounts and industry-specific networking opportunities not available anywhere else. CalAPA's new searchable on-line membership directory helps connect CalAPA members to potential customers. Click HERE to download our Member Service brochure, click HERE to send us an inquiry, or contact Bill Knopf with CalAPA at (442) 400-9697.
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We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. Click HERE to contact us with any comments or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Russell W. Snyder, CAE
Executive Director
California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®
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The "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 contact us. Copyright © 2021 California Asphalt Pavement Association -- All Rights Reserved. The CalAPA name (No. 5,621,794) and logo (No. 5,621,795) are registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
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P.O. Box 981300, West Sacramento, CA 95798
1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211, West Sacramento, CA 95691
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