In what one bored headline writer deemed a "shocker," the Trump Administration, as expected, is set to ease vehicle mileage standards that were designed to promote the move to Electric Vehicles and other zero-emission cars and light trucks.

The move comes as all eyes in Washington are on the Nov. 3 mid-term elections when every sitting member of the House of Representatives seeking re-election will be judged by voters, as well as a third of U.S. Senate seats. The high cost of living, particularly gas prices, are top-of-mind for many voters, pollsters say.

President Trump posted on social media over the weekend that he approved new fuel economy standards, which is in the form of a final rule by the U.S. Department of Transportation that has been in the works for months. The higher-mileage standards had been promoted by several administrations as a way to raise fleet fuel economy standards and, it was hoped, to prod automakers to sell more non-polluting Electric Vehicles.

California has led the way in EV adoption, and the trend appears to have accelerated in the face of higher pump prices triggered by the war in Iran. The California Energy Commission reported that in the second quarter of 2026, Californians purchased 86,857 new zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). That figure amounted to 19.1% of new car sales, and was an increase of 3.3% over the prior quarter. Most ZEVs are electric, and represent 16.6% of new car sales in the state, compared to 5.8% nationally. The official CEC press release is HERE.

The president, in his weekend social media post, portrayed the move as a victory for autoworkers and should lower the cost of new vehicles. A previous U.S. DOT press release on the topic is HERE. But estimates by the U.S. Department of Transportation indicate the move could also result in higher fuel costs for consumers and additional air pollution and Greenhouse Gas emissions. Transportation, including cars and trucks, is the largest source of air pollution, and California has some of the most polluted air in the nation, even though overall air quality has improved dramatically in recent years. Gov. Gavin Newsom previously labeled the Trump administration move to relax the vehicle fuel economy standards, known by the acronym CAFE, as a "con job." That press release is HERE.

As reported in last week's Asphalt Insider HERE, the dynamic of soaring fuel prices has drawn additional attention to the Caltrans crude oil index, which has been in place since the 1970s to help insulate contractors from gyrating prices on asphalt binder, a petroleum product. Recently the concept has been put in place for fuel prices. Information about the Caltrans fuel index is HERE. Information about the Caltrans crude oil index utilized to compute paving asphalt adjustments is HERE. A previous Asphalt Insider article on the topic is HERE.

CalAPA's annual charity golf tournament, rebranded this year as the "California Asphalt Open," boasted another strong turnout and a hair-raising hole-in-one near-miss.

The annual event took place Sept. 24 at the Journey, a spectacular golf course tucked into a hillside in Temecula and part of the growing Pechanga Resort and Casino complex. A gala "tailgate-style" networking event was held the evening before the big tournament, hosted by Steve Marvin of CalAPA member LaBelle-Marvin. Photos from the events were posed on CalAPA's various social media feeds, including Facebook, which can be viewed HERE.

Last year's event created a buzz when Braden Porter with CalAPA member R.J. Noble Co. scored a hole-in-one on a Par 3 shot on 15, a soaring 154-yard tee-shot that golfers dream about. His name is now is listed on a perpetual plaque in the lobby of the Journey golf facility. His only mistake: The $10,000 Hole-In-One prize was two holes later, on 17.

In recognition of his feat, CalAPA added a second "Hole in One" contest hole this year, and presented Porter with a customized "California Asphalt Open" cap made especially for the event by CalAPA member Lind Safety with an eye-catching logo designed by Construction Marketing Services.

Once again this year's event had its own "hole-in-one" drama, as Rollo Garcia with CalAPA member Sully-Miller/Blue Diamond Materials stepped up to the tee box on 17, the $10,000 hole, and planted his tee shot 2 feet from the cup. His companions gathered around him for a photo and dared him to miss the "gimmie" 2-foot put for a zero-cash birdie. The saying may be "close but no cigar," but Garcia was presented with a custom tournament cap and a cigar anyway. For the record, the tee shot from the $10,000 Hole 17 was 180 yards and a par 3.

Also noteworthy at last week's tournament was a re-imagining of the event check-in procedure, which converted the morning line from TSA to VIP -- or, in other words, no line at all. Arriving golfers had their hole and cart assignments in advance, or available on a QR Code on their phone. Tee Prizes were already waiting for them in their carts. The tee prizes included customized golf vests produced for the event by Lind Safety. Raffle tickets were sold on the course. That freed up morning time for coffee, breakfast, networking and perhaps some warm-up putting. Registration desk supervisor Jackie Henry and asphalt ambassadors Jen Harris and Patsy Mascarenhas deserved all the kudus they received for the new and improved procedure.

The course was manicured to perfection, and beverages were plentiful under clear and warm skies with a light breeze. Golfers moved through the course quickly and arrived at a raucous awards luncheon ready to cheer on the winners and jeer (good naturedly) the raffle ticket barker.

An impromptu auction of limited-edition "California Asphalt Open" caps was held, with the proceeds to benefit CalAPA's newly minted charity, the California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation. Kudos go out to the generosity of the winning cap bidders: Marco Estrada with Pavement Recycling Systems, Ryan Merritt with Martin Marietta, and Zach Hoffman with Constellation Energy. Lind Safety's Kevin Duong with Lind Safety, who personally supervised the embroidery of the vests and caps, and even volunteered to load up the carts, was on hand to make the presentations. More information about the CARE Foundation is HERE.

The sold-out event was sponsored by Acrisure, C&C Transportation, Diversified Asphalt Products, D&H Equipment, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Navarro Paving, R.J. Noble Co., Surfa-Slick and World Oil. The Navarro Paving group is pictured at their sponsored hole.

The next opportunity for CalAPA members to mingle will take place on Oct. 7 when the Southern California Asphalt Contractors Committee will be hosting a Contractor's Dinner at the famed Dal Rae restaurant in Pico Rivera. Details on that event can be found HERE. For information on all upcoming events, visit the CalAPA on-line calendar page HERE.

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance, a CalAPA partner, will hold a free educational webinar focusing on the needs of local agencies in making smart decisions regarding upkeep of their local streets and roads.

Carrying the provocative title, "Local roads are not highways," the webinar will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and be conducted by noted asphalt expert Tom Clayton, P.E. Although the webinar is free, pre-registration is required HERE.

The practical discussion focuses specifically on the unique challenges and considerations of local agency roadways and should be of interest to any pavement professional, but in particular harried city or county public works directors with a vast portfolio of roads and too few dollars to take care of them.

Among the topics to be covered in the webinar are traffic profiles, geometrics and speeds, utility and access density, budgeting and risk.

The webinar kicks off a special APA educational series geared to local agency personnel. A Oct. 13 webinar is titled, "Sample Specifications for Local Agency Asphalt Roadways." A Nov. 10 webinar is titled, "Suggested Best Practices for Inspection of New Local Agency Road Construction." A Dec. 7 webinar is titled, "Suggested Best Practices for Inspection of Local Agency Road Repairs." To access a list of all the upcoming educational opportunities offered by the APA, click HERE.

The presenter, Clayton, is a former asphalt association executive from Colorado who now heads up his own consultancy, Asphalt Training & Consulting, LLC. His LinkedIn profile is HERE.

To learn more about CalAPA's live, in-state training offerings, click HERE. Announcements on future CalAPA asphalt classes will be made in future issues of this newsletter.

Caltrans Construction Chief Ray Hopkins has a reputation as a no-nonsense leader when it comes to the nuts and bolts of running a multi-billion construction program.

But too often he's found himself behind a keyboard typing up a note to association representatives and stakeholders that is similar to this one that went out on Friday. It is printed in its entirety:

---[

Industry Partners, 

With deep sorrow I inform you of a major work-zone intrusion and the tragic loss of three contractor employees that occurred at approximately 5:15 a.m. today on eastbound I-10 near Intake Blvd in Blythe, approximately 2.5 miles west of the Arizona border. 

According to preliminary information, a semi-truck traveling eastbound entered the right-shoulder work area adjacent to the Intake Blvd on-ramp gore. Contractor crews were performing cleanup operations along the rock blanket slope, with workers on foot. A truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) and a pickup truck with a light plant were positioned behind the contractor’s water truck. The semi-truck clipped the TMA truck and then struck the water truck, causing it to spin. Three contractor employees were struck and suffered fatal injuries at the scene.

Following the impact, the semi-truck overturned and caught on fire. The driver was airlifted to the hospital. 

This heartbreaking event underscores the significant dangers workers face when operating near moving traffic and reinforces the importance of continually assessing whether stronger physical safeguards and enhanced visibility can further reduce their exposure. 

Statewide Safety Stand-Down 

All contractors are encouraged to conduct an immediate statewide safety stand-down.

The stand-down should focus on strengthening physical protection and reducing the potential for work-zone intrusions, including: 

• Physical barrier protection and opportunities for positive protection and buffer lanes where feasible 
• TMA and barrier vehicle placement and spacing, including compliance with maximum allowable spacing requirements 
• Additional barricades within extended lane closures, including consideration of 500-foot spacing instead of 1,000 feet, where appropriate and permitted 
• Enhanced visibility, including lighted cones, illuminated channelizers, warning lights, and other treatments for nighttime and early-morning operations 
• Worker positioning and escape routes to minimize exposure to live traffic 
• Changing conditions that may require adjustments to traffic control or worker protection 
• Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) and identification of additional measures to address work-zone intrusion risks 

Action Required 

Please document the safety stand-down and the project-specific discussions conducted with your crews. Any identified deficiencies or opportunities to strengthen worker protection should be addressed promptly. 

The dangers of working near live traffic are significant and can escalate in an instant. We ask all contractor partners to remain vigilant, identify potential exposures, and take every reasonable measure to strengthen physical protection and keep workers separated from errant vehicles. 

Thank you for your urgent attention and continued commitment to worker safety. If any ideas are generated during the safety stand-down on ways to enhance the safety of our workers, please forward them directly to me and Veera Nanugonda. With the number of recent events, we must challenge the status-quo and look for any opportunities to improve.

Ramon L. Hopkins, P.E.

Chief, Division of Construction

---[

As noted in the last sentence of the message above, there have been a spate of tragic work zone crashes on the state highway system lately, forcing Hopkins to send similar notes to the one above. They include a suspected DUI driver who blasted through a work zone Sept. 16 in Eureka, seriously injuring a 20-year-old highway worker, who later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. And on Aug. 31, Hopkins reported on a fatal accident that happened on Route 38 near Greenway Drive in Big Bear (San Bernardino County), when a worker performing pothole repair work near the roadway was struck by an errant vehicle in a case police were treating as a hit-and-run.

It is often said that safety is everyone's job. But for some people, sadly, it is their last job.

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

EMBANKMENT: A structure of soil, soil aggregate, or broken rock between the embankment foundation and the subgrade. 

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.

SUBSOIL: Is the base layer/subsoil firm and unyielding under the pressure of repeated construction trucks? Is the soil dry enough to support heavy construction? Can the soil hold its shape under loaded trucks? If the site is wet, postpone until the site is sufficiently dry and can be proof rolled and uniform stability is obtained.

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.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE: Organization assessing scientific and technical literature on climate change.

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 .

Sept. 2026: $481.4 ($/ton)

Last month: $455.4

1 year ago: $363.7

"He who is not every day conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life."

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

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)®