California Asphalt Magazine – 2021 Public Works Issue

PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE

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A decade in the making, a model asphalt pavement specification is tailored to city and county streets

INSIDE: What the $1T federal infrastructure bill means for California Q & A with Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin 2021 Equipment Guide

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Publisher’s Letter Industry-agency collaboration helps engineer a brighter future Engineering provides a systematic, technical approach to solve problems.

We establish what we know, identify gaps in our knowledge, and develop a clear roadmap to reach a successful outcome. A proven strategy includes collaboration with key stakeholders. Since 1953, the California Asphalt Pavement Association has provided information and training on how to maximize the benefits of the No. 1 paving material in the state. Also, CalAPA provides forums, like our monthly technical meetings and webinars, for stakeholders to discuss various technical aspects of asphalt pavements to gain new information and insight. This discourse allows all of us the opportunity to learn more about this versatile paving material through the sharing of our collective knowledge and experiences.

Our common goal is to continue to provide California with a durable, cost-effective and sustainable paving surface for the efficient movement of people and goods in and around our communities. As we are constantly inundated with new technology and techniques, this requires continuous collaboration between the industry and the owner/agencies. This collaboration often includes training (from our “Asphalt Pavement 101” introductory course through specialty training in Forensics, Smoothness, or Specifications), conferences and workshops, as well as focused meetings with individual agencies. These interactions also help the industry better understand how asphalt pavements are used and what are the successes and opportunities for improvement. With this knowledge, we can work with our industry, academic, and agency partners to address challenges and improve pavement performance.

This issue of our association’s magazine highlights CalAPA efforts to collaborate with our agency partners.

CalAPA members have spent years working with public works officials at the local, state and federal level in developing an asphalt pavement specification tailored to local streets and roads. While this effort took much longer than anyone imagined, we are pleased with the outcome. CalAPA also appreciates the collaboration with the University of California’s City & County Pavement Improvement Center (CCPIC) on the latest iteration of the specification now known as the CCPIC HMA-LG model specification. We also recognize that this work is not finished. We will continue to gather feedback on the use of the specification in the field and work with CCPIC to revise the specification as needed.

CalAPA and Caltrans have long history of collaborating on the improvement and innovation implementation within the asphalt pavement space. Also featured in this issue is our exclusive interview with Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. By sharing this conversation with our members, we can gain a greater understanding of the direction and focus of the Department and use this information to further inform our discussions.

After reading this issue, I hope you will recognize the importance of the collaboration between agencies and our industry. Also, I hope you will consider participating with your colleagues in one of the many opportunities CalAPA offers for sharing knowledge and crafting innovative solutions. Excellent ways to participate include participation in the various industry/agency working groups (i.e. Caltrans, Local Agency, CCPIC, etc.) attending CalAPA in-person and web events, and meetings between agencies and CalAPA to discuss specific asphaltrelated topics. Working together, I’m confident we can continue to engineer innovative solutions that will benefit all Californians.

Sincerely,

Brandon Milar Technical Director CalAPA

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California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

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Contents Volume 24, Issue 6

4

Publisher’s Letter

8

Model local agency asphalt pavement specification balances performance, value Page 8

12

Q&A with Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin

24

Years of grassroots lobbying finally pay off as landmark $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill will mean billions of dollars in road work for California Page 12

30

2021 Equipment Guide

36

Industry News

CalAPA equipment manufacturer and distributor member listings

On the Cover:

Photo of PCH in Huntington Beach taken by Russell W. Snyder.

Page 24

CALIFORNIA ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION www.calapa.net HEADQUARTERS:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: REGIONAL DIRECTOR: MEMBER SERVICES MANAGER: GUEST PUBLISHER: PUBLISHED BY:

GRAPHIC DESIGN: CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: ADVERTISING SALES:

P.O. Box 981300 • West Sacramento • CA 95798 (Mailing Address) 1550 Harbor Blvd., Suite 211 • West Sacramento • CA 95691 • (916) 791-5044 Russell W. Snyder, CAE, rsnyder@calapa.net Brandon M. Milar, P.E., bmilar@calapa.net Bill Knopf, wknopf@calapa.net • (442) 400-9697 Sophie You, syou@calapa.net Brandon M. Milar, P.E., CalAPA Construction Marketing Services, LLC • (909) 772-3121 P.O. Box 892977 • Temecula • CA 92589 Aldo Myftari Russell W. Snyder, CAE, CalAPA Kerry Hoover, CMS, (909) 772-3121

Copyright © 2021 – All Rights Reserved. No portion of this publication may be reused in any form without prior permission of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. California Asphalt is the official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. This bimonthly magazine distributes to members of the California Asphalt Pavem­­ ent Association; contractors; construction material producers; Federal, State and Local Government Officials; and others interested in asphalt pavements in California and gaining exclusive insight about the issues, trends and people that are shaping the future of the industry.

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California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

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Model local agency asphalt pavement specification balances performance, value

By Russell W. Snyder

O

mar Al-Hindi is currently executive project manager for the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, but his previous work managing pavements for the City of Stockton gave him an appreciation for a model asphalt pavement specification tailored specifically for local agencies.

Al-Hindi recalls being caught between using 1960s-era HVEEM pavement mixes, which did not conform to modern standards, but facing a resistance to use the Superpave design utilized by many state transportation departments as appropriate for interstate highways but not ideal for a local streets with lower volumes of traffic and less punishment from heavy trucks.

8

“When it comes to an audit, it was awkward to specify an older specification for a mix design,” he recalled in a recent interview. “Cities are afraid to go to something that requires higher testing. Superpave requires initial profiling, a final profile, and that profile testing costs a lot of money. Some agencies are small and don’t have the budget.”

That’s where the model specification for asphalt pavements comes in. More than 10 years in development, the model specification for asphalt pavements is designed specifically for use by local agencies. It was officially unveiled Oct. 13 at the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference in Sacramento.

The idea for the specification grew out of a collaborative effort between the asphalt industry and

the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and ultimately involved local agency representatives and academia.

After countless revisions and refinements, the City & County Pavement Improvement Center (CCPIC), hosted by the University of California Pavement Research Center (UCPRC), agreed to publish the specification on its website.

Dr. John Harvey, director of the UCPRC, delivered a presentation about the specification at the Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference in Sacramento.

The specification is flexible, featuring criteria based on three different levels of traffic loading so that agencies can select the one that is most appropriate for the pavement to be built or rehabilitated.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

“We were trying to make it easier for local agencies to have a specification they could use that wasn’t so test-intensive,” said Tim Denlay with Knife River, co-chair of the CalAPA Technical Advisory Committee and one of the early proponents of an easier-to-use specification for local agencies as an alternative to state asphalt specifications for interstate highways. “A lot of local agencies couldn’t do all the testing that Caltrans was asking for, so we wanted to give them an option for a specification they could use that would be more appropriate for local roadways instead of using the full-blown Caltrans specification.

“I think less required testing will lessen the burden on the cities and counties while still doing enough to ensure a quality pavement,” Denlay added. “For some of those roadways, the Caltrans specification may not be a good fit. It’s made for major highways – it’s not always appropriate for a local roadway.”

Denlay thanked the UCPRC for its work to coordinate reviews and revisions to the specification and for making it easily accessible on the UCPRC CCPIC website in Microsoft Word format so it is easy for local agencies to download and modify.

“This is a good spot for it,” Denlay said. “We had a very

knowledgeable group of people who put this spec together. We had local agency people. We had industry people along with CalAPA. Rita Leahy and Brandon Milar with CalAPA were involved. We had Caltrans involved in the very beginning. We put a lot of work into this and I think it is a really good specification option. We appreciate CCPIC giving this spec a home.”

The origin of the specification was in the old Rock Products Committee, a Caltrans-industry forum that later morphed into what is now known as the Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee (PMPC). Although Caltrans engineers were heavily involved in the early iterations of the specification, Caltrans elected not to post the specification on their website to avoid confusion with the regular Section 39 asphalt specifications that are the standard for projects on the state highway system. CalAPA endorsed the hosting of the specification at the UCPRC CCPIC site, which also hosts other resources for local agencies.

Harvey of the UCPRC walked attendees through the model specification and answered questions from industry and public agency representatives in attendance at the CalAPA Fall Asphalt Pavement conference.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

Interviewed later, he said of the specification, “It was started with Caltrans, CalAPA and local agencies. Lots of cities and counties are still using the Hveem method, which we think, particularly for the low-volume streets, gives them a mix that’s going to crack faster, and we can do better than that.

This new specification also brings them into the mainstream with regard to pavement design and laboratories.” The Hveem method is named after Francis N. Hveem, a legendary Caltrans materials engineer who helped develop the specification in the 1950s.

“We started with a baseline,” Harvey said. “We looked at the current Caltrans spec, and discussed every element of it, and then sat with CalAPA and got some initial critiques. After that we refined it some more, and we took it back and had a contractor group review it and ask questions. We are modernizing the specification, and balancing testing with risk. We have three levels. The bottom two levels are for residential streets and boulevards. The highest level, Level 3, used the same parameters and same spec limits as Caltrans in terms of the volumetric mix properties, but we’ve simplified the testing, we’ve simplified the job mix formula approval and the startup, and geared them for local government."

Asked why local agencies should consider using this model asphalt specification, Harvey said, “You should do this because you will get mixes that will likely last longer and you will have a spec that should be practical and uses modern equipment and methods in terms of the mix design.”

Dr. Shadi Saadeh from California State University, Long Beach, also participated in the team that reviewed and proposed changes to the new model specification.

“This template specification can be customized to meet the different needs of cities and counties,” 9

Saadeh said. “Everyone is a winner as taxpayers will get better roads, local government will get streamlined specs, and industry will be in a better position to meet the specs every time.”

Erik Updyke, a technical specialist for the UCPRC and recently retired from the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, also has been involved with the “Green Book” of local agency specifications. He said the model asphalt pavement specification should be much easier for a public agency to use than the more famous Green Book and Caltrans specifications, both of which are voluminous and can be intimidating.

“It’s better for (local agencies) to have something they can easily understand and use than something that will overwhelm them,” Updyke said.

Already, numerous agencies, including the City of San Jose and the City of Stockton, are among the local public works departments that have used versions of the model asphalt specification, and Updyke said the UCPRC wants to know about other agencies that utilize it so the UCPRC can continue to gather feedback. He said the CCPIC is also available to answer questions about the specification.

Al-Hindi used the specification on pavement work in the City of Stockton and, “from what I have seen so far, it has held up really well. I was very happy with the outcome. I think it is a specification the city should continue with.”

“Don’t be shy in making a change,” he said. “I look at what is the best way to treat the road for the dollars that I have. I could have done a Type 2 micro-surfacing on six roadways, and got five years of life. But I got more than 10 years of life on three principal arterials with lots of truck traffic. This is the best mix we’ve ever had.”

Dave Aver is a well-known pavement expert who is the Quality 10

Control Associate with the City of Santa Rosa. He’s also an instructor with the Caltrans-industry Joint Training & Certification Program.

He called the model specification “well thought-out and applicable for California cities and counties, especially those entities without a laboratory to rely on for materials testing.”

Aver noted the many years that were put into carefully refining the specification before it was finally published.

“We’ve spent years correlating our gyratory specimens with our typical Hveem design briquettes.

We are very close if not identical with regards to Ndesign for different TI streets,” Aver said. “The Ndesign for all three Levels of HMA and the gradation specifications make it easier for a city or county project engineer during this potential transition period to a HMA-LG special provision or future project specification. The overall amount of testing utilizing this HMA-LG seems very thorough and assured of getting a taxpayer-paid quality HMA project.”

Tracy Zubek, Quality Control Manager for DeSilva Gates Materials, was another subjectmatter expert who invested many hours of time providing input and reviewing the model specification.

“It’s exciting to see the fruits of our labor on paper and out for use in the HMA industry,” he said.

“This is a huge step forward for our asphalt industry and brings the HMA design methodology and testing into modern times.”

In the City of San Jose, the public works department has been using a version of the new specification on projects since 2019 with favorable results, according to Frank Farshidi, Division Manager for Pavement Maintenance with the City’s Department of Transportation.

He explained that while Caltrans, industry and the UCPRC were working on one of many

revisions to the specification, the city wanted to move forward based on lessons learned in the process.

Farshidi said he contacted CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar, who helped facilitate meetings with the city and industry representatives to develop their own version of the HMA-LG specification.

“We couldn’t have done it without CalAPA,” Farshidi said.

“I can’t thank Brandon Milar enough. His involvement was a huge help. He helped in getting people together in one room, and getting them to agree. He has a very unbiased approach. He had that insight of what has happened at Caltrans, and at other local agencies. He made our lives easier.

If it wasn’t for him, we would still be talking about it today.”

“From a performance perspective, it is a better mix,” Farshidi added. He said the projects the city has utilized the new specification on have been working well. “We’ve used it for a couple of years,” he said. “It has been really working out for us in terms of consistency. We have seen the difference. The contractors love the simplicity of it. It has been a good spec. Overall the performance has been good in the field.”

Milar says the association will continue to raise awareness about the HMA-LG specification and gather feedback on its performance. CA Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association.

REFERENCE: The HMA-LG Model specification can be downloaded from the University of California Pavement Research Center’s City & County Pavement Improvement Center (CCPIC) website (under the “Sample Specifications” section) at the following website: http://www.ucprc.ucdavis.edu/ccpic/

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

Top 7 reasons to use the HMA-LG Model Specification Editor’s Note: The following list was developed based on numerous interviews with local and state public works officials and industry experts knowledgeable about the Model Specification for HMA intended for use by cities and counties, otherwise known as the Hot Mix Asphalt-Local Government (HMA-LG) specification. In many cases, the opinions were gathered from those who participated in meetings to develop and refine the specification and/or have used it in the field.

1. Based on modern standards

Many cities and counties are using asphalt pavement specifications based on outdated design and testing methodology, such as HVEEM. The new specification is based on current and widely accepted standards for mix design and testing with equipment that is standard in the industry.

2. Saves money

The model specification utilizes Quality Control/Quality Assurance standards and testing that is appropriate for streets and roads typically in use by cities and counties, with appropriate levels of testing to ensure mix performance. The testing frequency, while less than is used by Caltrans for a freeway project, is nevertheless more than adequate for a low-volume residential street or collector.

3. Provides multiple mix options for local agency needs

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Developed the current Section 39 HMA-A mix to address performance for interstate highways that experience high traffic and truck loads. The HMA-LG specification includes mix types that are best used for local streets with less traffic. These mixes are designed for use where mix durability (i.e. cracking) is the primary concern over the pavement’s life.

4. Promotes consistency

The HMA-LG specification will provide agencies with a specification that meets their needs. They will no longer need to utilize outdated specifications or develop their own. As a result, the broad adoption of this specification will result in mix design efficiencies for producers and consistent acceptance criteria across the state. The efficiencies will benefit all stakeholders.

5. Supported by credible resources

The model specification is available free to download from the University of California Pavement Research Center’s (UCPRC) City & County Pavement Improvement Center (CCPIC) website. This effort is funded and supported by the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties, and SB1, the Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017. CalAPA, which was instrumental in developing the specification in collaboration with industry, agency and academia, has numerous resources available to assist local agency personnel in understanding the specification. CalAPA technical committee meetings and webinars bring together industry and agency personnel to share knowledge and experiences on pavement issues, including design and testing.

6. Avoids awkward conversations about using a specification based on out-of-date or obsolete standards or equipment

When something goes wrong, no public works official wants to defend using an out-of-date specification on an asphalt pavement job.

Using a modern, proven specification helps boost confidence and credibility if a dispute arises.

7. Developed by subject-matter experts and field tested to ensure it will perform as intended

The “new” model specification is not really new but is the product of a 10-year collaboration between local and state public works officials and industry experts and has been refined numerous times before it was published in Spring of 2021. Versions of the specification have already been used by local agencies with favorable results.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

11

Q&A with

Toks Omishakin

Caltrans Director

By Russell W. Snyder and Brandon Milar

Editor’s Note: Toks Omishakin recently marked his second anniversary as the 33rd director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), having been appointed to the position by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October of 2019. In his role he manages a $17 billion budget and more than 22,000 employees who oversee a 50,000-mile system of freeways and highways, plus maintaining about 20,000 bridges, provide permitting of more than 400 public-use airports, funding for three of Amtrak’s busiest intercity rail services and providing transit support to more than 200 local and regional transit agencies. His stated transportation vision for California features a safe, equitable, sustainable, and multimodal transportation system that builds on strong local partnerships. He and the Caltrans leadership team established the “5 Priorities” for the Department in 2019 that focus on safety, modality, innovation, efficiency and partnerships. In 2020, he guided the finalization of a new Strategic Plan with a focus on Caltrans’ foundational principles of Safety, Climate Action and Equity.

He also encourages a Caltrans culture of innovation and intelligent risk-taking, as transformative innovation will be needed to achieve the state’s ambitious goals of zero traffic-related deaths and a reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions by 40% by 2030. Omishakin came to Caltrans following eight years with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). There, he successfully established 12

environmental, multimodal and planning policies. As deputy commissioner for environment and planning, he was responsible for an administrative and project budget of more than $300 million annually.

He also led the activities of the divisions of Environmental Services, Long-Range Planning, Multimodal Transportation Resources, and the Freight and Logistics Division. Prior to that role, he served as Director of Healthy Living Initiatives in the Nashville Mayor’s Office. In that capacity, he led development of Nashville’s Complete Streets Policy and helped establish a more balanced approach to transportation planning and design. This included spearheading creation of two bicycle-sharing programs. In December of 2019, Omishakin became chair of the Council on Active Transportation for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This came after serving two years as committee vice chair and serving as inaugural chair of AASHTO’s Multimodal Task Force. He is on the Board of America Walks, Veloz, Mineta Transportation Institute and ITS World Congress, and has advised the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis through its Transportation Council Board. Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Omishakin and his wife have two children. He is completing a Ph.D. in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering

Toks Omishakin, Caltrans Director.

Technology from Mississippi Valley State University. Minutes before this interview, which was conducted at the Caltrans Headquarters offices in Sacramento, Omishakin had just returned from a Governor’s Office briefing where he provided updates on record-breaking rainstorms that moved through Northern California the day prior and caused considerable disruptions on the state highway system.

California Asphalt: So, what is the state of the system after a historic storm hit in Northern California over the weekend?

Toks Omishakin: Surprisingly, not bad. There were 27 roads closed as of last night. As of this morning, we’re down to 18 closed. Three major highways, 50, 70 and 80 are the ones that have seen significant

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

closures. 80 we opened already.

50 should be open today. 70 is going to take a while. We’ve got to get a contractor and some crews out there to assess the damage.

CAM: You came to this job from Tennessee, so we know the learning curve for you had to be unique. Now that you have been on the job a while and have had some time to find your way, tell us a bit about what you have learned about transportation in California, the challenges and opportunities.

TO: You’re assuming I’ve found my way already (laughs).

CAM: Point taken! We know that, as head of such a large and complex operation, you have the tiger by the tail, but please share with us your insights.

TO: Your timing is great. My anniversary on the job was this weekend. It’s exactly two years. I love stuff like this. I get excited.

Coming in, you have to spend the time getting to know the team first, and that’s where I spent a lot of my energy, initially. And then, eventually, as you go along, you have to understand the work that is happening, what has taken place in the communities we serve, how things are working with local partners, and industry. How are things happening on the ground? I was fortunate to get around to that pretty quickly. Of the 12 Caltrans districts, I got to six within the first month and a half. I was all over the place. I wanted to get out and spend a little bit of time with the team and get out and work with partners as well.

CAM: And what did you learn during that initial assessment?

TO: What jumped out to me is the scale of things here in California.

Nothing prepares you for that until you are actually in the pilot’s seat.

The only other state that I think compares in terms of scale and responsibility is Texas. Their system is actually larger than ours. But just trying to get a good sense of what’s going on in the San Francisco Bay Area, what’s going on in Los Angeles, what’s going on in Orange County. Then you have the North State, and don’t forget the Central Valley, and how important the Valley is to the state. Those areas could be states themselves.

A lot of people don’t think of it that way, but if you combine the Central Valley, you can compare it to a state like Nevada or Utah. It’s almost the same size. And that’s just one part of the state. And each of those areas in California is unique in its own way. I was trying to get a sense of what they need and understand what we’re trying to do in those places. That was a big part of my first six months here. And then, out of nowhere, this pandemic hits.

CAM: As if the job wasn’t hard enough. The COVID-19 pandemic turned all of our lives upside down, causing business and travel disruptions on a scale never seen in this state and the nation. There was also a major economic disruption.

TO: Right. Trying to manage a department, and lead a department, that has to transition into a completely different working style that it’s never had. We’ve done telework on a smaller scale, but not to the extent of 15,000 people switching to telework within such a short window of time. So how do you lead in an environment like that? It became a huge learning curve.

CAM: For everyone.

TO: Not only to lead in an environment like that, and still get things done, but dealing with the many other issues that came at us.

Wildfires. Homelessness. There

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

were so many other issues that began to percolate and go to the next level. It was a tough stretch.

But the resilience of this team is pretty incredible. There were a lot of people who said, “Look, we’re on it. It doesn’t matter. We’ll push through.” What I’ve learned is how big that responsibility is, but we’ve got a team that’s been resilient through probably the toughest stretch this department has ever been through in its history.

CAM: That’s really saying something, considering Caltrans is more than 125 years old. You’ll get no argument from us. Just the wildfires alone were a massive challenge.

We’ve read that during the 2020 wildfire season, one of the state’s worst ever, 8,100 fires consumed nearly 4.5 million acres of land.

Four of the top 5 largest fires in the state’s history as ranked by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection have occurred in 2020 and 2021.

TO: We called it the triple pandemic.

We had COVID, systemic inequities and adverse economic impacts.

And on top of that, we were dealing with ongoing challenges including fires, homelessness, and climate change impacts.

CAM: What Caltrans does touches every Californian in some way.

Maintaining and improving a transportation system that moves people, goods and services around this vast state is often taken for granted, but in an emergency keeping those routes open and safe can be the difference between life and death at minimum, or a major disruption or economic hardship.

In the case of the wildfires, we read that more than 350,000 Californians live in communities in zones deemed to be very high risk of fire. And we’re not even talking about earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters. Some of the most impressive stories have been 13

the collaboration between Caltrans and the construction industry to get vital routes reopened quickly during times of natural disasters. Part of this is culture, an ethos of “get it done.” How do you assess the culture and Caltrans and your approach to the people aspect of your job?

TO: That’s a good question.

Leadership has to give assurances to the team that we’re going to be with them throughout the challenges.

Whatever you need to get through this, we’re going to do our part.

You need to get a laptop home?

You need to pay for different office equipment? We’ll be there for you to help you with that. And if you need time because of family challenges or struggles, we’ll be there for you with that as well. But to the work, at the end of the day, the culture is just embedded here, that “get it done” attitude is embedded within the department.

So, early on in the pandemic, in April, some states started to shut down construction activity. I’ll never forget this because I was on calls about every other day about it.

CAM: So were we. We saw that happened in other states, a complete shutdown of work, and we didn’t want that to happen there. We felt strongly that we could continue to work safely. A broad coalition of the construction community and our labor partners came together to speak with one voice on this topic.

TO: Your efforts worked, and it mattered. You guys, the industry, said, “We can fight through this.” The protocols were still coming out about every single thing we have to do. And everything we need to do, we will do it. We’ll have a safety stand-down.

Whatever we need to do.

CAM: It helped that the construction industry already had a robust safety culture, procedures and 14

CalAPA Technical Director Brandon Milar (right) makes a point to Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin during a meeting on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. The interview took place at the Caltrans Headquarters office in Sacramento.

infrastructure in place. We just needed to infuse it with new information about COVID-19. But in some other states, notably New York and Washington State, there was a temporary halt to construction work.

TO: Right. But to your question about our ability to adapt, I was on the phone with my counterparts in New York and Washington State to understand what happened there.

CAM: In California, Caltrans and its construction industry partners also coordinated very closely on COVID issues and were in alignment about how to work and keep projects progressing. It was impressive.

TO: It was big. The Newsom Administration was very much in that place as well. The Governor wanted to understand if the industry could implement the new health protocols that were coming out, and safely do the work. The information we got, that was relayed to him, was, yes, we can do this safely. We decided to keep things open. But I was prepared. I had options laid out to me of the impact of shutting down, here’s what it looks like.

CAM: And the cost.

TO: Yes. If you shut down and you have to demobilize and mobilize again, the cost of that is substantial. You start to weigh the pros and cons, although you can never put a pro and con on a human life. But when we started to weigh those things we said, “Let’s see if we can do this work safely.”

CAM: Are there any specific projects that stand out in your mind that were impacted by the pandemic?

TO: I think the highlight of those efforts, one example of that adaptability, was Highway 101 in San Francisco, the Alemeny Deck Replacement project that I’m sure you’ve heard quite a bit about.

The bridge deck replacement project. That was scheduled to take 18 to 20 days. But with the lower traffic due to COVID, that adaptability kicked in, and we started to think about, not just in the Bay Area but across the state, what work can we speed up right now? We started coming up with a list. The 101 project was by [ Continued on page 16 ]

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

[ Continued from page 14 ]

far the largest of those. But the Alameny project, you’re talking 250,000 cars a day. It was a huge bridge deck replacement project.

It’s the environmental implications that sometimes go unhighlighted in this project. Not only did we potentially save a lot of money in construction costs, but we saved money in productivity as well. But the emissions reductions from moving up this work from when it was going to happen later in 2020, there were tremendous emission reductions for 250,000 cars using the roads. I’m thankful to Tony Tavares, our District 4 Director, and his team’s efforts to get such an innovative project done.

CAM: Speeding up that work enabled Caltrans to do less partial closures, which reduces congestion and emissions from vehicles idling in traffic. It was a national story that represented a bit of a silver lining during a time of grim news. That is just one example of how Caltrans incorporates environmental considerations in its decision-making process. Can you talk a bit more about the department’s emphasis in this area in recent years? How do you balance that against the department’s core mission of improving transportation across the state?

TO: It’s challenging, but it’s the right thing for us to do. When you think about most industries, regardless of what industry, you go through decades of shifts in their responsibilities. Economic sectors and industries evolve, and ours is going through an evolution right now over the last few years to understand more broadly what our responsibilities are beyond just the delivery of transportation infrastructure. I think it’s a good evolution we are going through.

CAM: And easy, too (laughs).

16

Toks Omishakin speaks at a Volvo Construction Equipment North America press conference where they highlighted their electric machines’ pilot results in Los Angeles on Sept. 21.

TO: No, no, no. Not even close (laughs). It’s extremely challenging.

But I think it is healthy for us. It’s good for our industry to be going through this battle and pushing ourselves, saying, “Look, here are the things that matter beyond delivering that infrastructure.” The infrastructure is what people expect.

We have a 50,000-mile highway system that people expect us to operate and maintain, but as we do that, how do you do it while also considering these other things?

CAM: So, in your mind, what are some of those issues?

TO: Climate change has always been something that this department has been focused on, so it’s not something that’s new to Caltrans.

But we know we have to do even more when you look at all that we are experiencing in this state. In the first part of the 20th century, for example, the state averaged 500,000 acres of fires burning a year. In the last three years alone, that number is now 2.5 million acres of land burning annually, the worst in our history. You’ve got lakes across the state that are several feet below where they’ve ever been, and you also have floods like we had this weekend – weird storm

events happening across the state.

We have mudslides, like on Highway 1.

CAM: That emergency repair project made the cover of our magazine earlier this year. Asphalt played an important part of getting that vital route in Big Sur opened early.

TO: Right. That road was about 88 years old. The drainage system was something like 90 years old.

CAM: Right. It was a permanent fix that went well beyond the roadway, which was completely obliterated when a 150-section was washed into the Pacific Ocean. The $11.5 million emergency reconstruction project included adding new drainage, bringing in 45,000 cubic yards of fill to rebuild the roadway base and, of course, asphalt paving.

Crews, including CalAPA members, worked seven days a week. The route opened two months ahead of schedule and was celebrated by the local communities impacted by the closure. The route was their economic lifeline.

TO: We don’t get a lot of pats on the back for our work, but that was an amazing job. The route was reopened in 88 days. When I first [ Continued on page 18 ]

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

HERRMANN EQUIPMENT, INC., AND

MARTIN BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION

Right & Below: Martin Brothers Construction’s new Bomag Cedarapids CR1030T tracked paving machine can be seen paving a wide variety of projects in northern California. Pictured here performing an overlay on Barberry Lane in Sacramento county (below), and paving the Franklin High School Stadium track with the addition of a Topcon millimeter GPS (right) in Stockton, CA.

Martin Brothers Construction (MBC) was founded in 1996 by Tranquilino and Felipe Martin in Elk Grove, California.

Their father, Felipe Martin, Sr., was an independent operator in Mexico during the 1960’s and 70’s and contributed greatly to his sons’ passion for the industry and desire for entrepreneurialism.

Today, MBC is a Small Business and MBE certified contractor that serves federal, state, city and local agencies.

They also perform commercial, industrial and residential projects throughout California. Their Roadway Construction and Maintenance division is one of their primary business sectors. They recently took delivery of a brand new Bomag Cedarapids CR1030T from Herrmann Equipment.

Felipe Martin, CEO and President of MBC comments on the new Bomag Cedarapids CR1030T, “When the need arose for us to purchase a new paving machine, we looked at the major brands. We decided on the Bomag Cedarapids CR1030T tracked paver and we haven’t looked back. The operators really appreciate all the state-of-the-art features of the machine that enhance operator experience. Some of the features that they value are the upgraded platform with better sound insulation, the dual swing-out operator stations and the open-grate design on the platform floor. The Bomag Cedarapids CR1030T also has a lot of power, smart track tensioning and a hydraulically extendible screed for variable paving widths. The mat it puts down is second to none.”

Martin adds, “We’ve really enjoyed doing business with Herrmann Equipment, the entire team made the transaction seamless. Their service has been impeccable and it’s nice to do business with another family-owned company.

We have purchased other machines from them in the past and have always had a good experience. We plan to add more Bomag pavers to our fleet in the near future.”

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[ Continued from page 16 ]

saw it I thought, oh my gosh, this is going to be closed until late summer or close to Christmas before it’s open. But it was done in recordbreaking time. Our District 5 team, under Tim Gubbins’ leadership, rocked that project.

CAM: Congratulations. Like we said in the first paragraph of our story on that project, “You know it’s a big deal when the governor shows up.”

TO: That’s definitely there, but to your original question, we’re having to pay attention to climate change because of all these things that are happening around us. We are doing it on two fronts. One, we have to try to make sure we are mitigating potential impacts of the projects that we are building. And then there is an adaptation-side to it, where there is an existing infrastructure that is out there that is vulnerable to climate change.

How do we get those pieces of infrastructure more adaptable to climate changes? That’s a huge responsibility. We’ve got the biggest transportation system in the state. Cities, counties and regional entities have their systems, but the biggest chunk is ours, so we have to look at that coin on both sides with regard to climate change.

CAM: What other challenges are you trying to balance with the Caltrans transportation mission?

TO: Another thing we’re often called upon to address is equity.

Again, there is another evolution there.

CAM: The department has recently published a disparity study and proposed new goals for participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises on Caltrans projects, and this has been somewhat controversial in our industry. There are other efforts, however, that have shown promise, 18

such as the mentor-protégé program for construction in District 4 in the Bay Area, which appears to have been successful in developing companies to be successful in the complex world of public works contracting.

TO: I actually spoke at the mentorprotégé graduation ceremony about three weeks ago. The work that’s being done there is impressive. I think it’s a great idea – to try to make sure, on the front end, that these companies can swim and not sink. Understanding the bonding and insurance, for example, if you’re just starting out, is complex. Working your way through federal requirements, state requirements, some local requirements, it’s not easy. They are people like Mike Keever, our Chief Deputy Director; and David DeLuz, Deputy Director for Civil Rights, who have been leading the way on our efforts to grow small business opportunities.

CAM: So, broadly, what do you want to see the department achieve in the area of equity? The Black Lives Matter protests last year sparked a lot of dialog on this front, which some have called an overdue reckoning of some injustices of the past that still impact us today.

TO: For equity, I think what a lot of people were going through last year was this reckoning, and beyond that an awakening to fully understand steps that can be taken to be better in the equity space. We knew a lot of it was going to have to do with listening to people, and it was going to be hard to listen to people because we were under stay-athome orders. But just being able to go through and say, look, we’ve got work to do here. We’ve been talking about equity for a while, but let’s take a serious dive in 2020. We put out an equity statement that was probably groundbreaking for a state DOT, and it led us toward

creating a framework that we call the four P’s framework for equity.

One of those P’s is a partnership.

How can we continue to build a partnership? And this is where the work of the Civil Rights Office comes in. We’ve performed pretty well in meeting our DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) goals. We’ve done well. But if you take a closer look, a more detailed look at some of the numbers, Hispanic-owned and African American-owned businesses have fallen short in getting to the DBE goal number that we aspire to have. So we wanted to make sure we are taking a really close look at making sure those numbers are actually moving toward that goal. Overall, we are doing a good job meeting the goals, but in those demographics specifically, it was very important to us to go back and look at them in particular and get more qualified, certified and competitive people to do work for Caltrans, either as a sub-contractor or, potentially, as a prime contractor.

CAM: What is your message to the contracting community on this issue?

TO: I think we can achieve these goals together. It’s going to take us, jointly, working together to get to the best place that we need to get to for the state. It’s not just about Caltrans, or one local entity. It is about all of us working together.

That’s the first thing. And if I could boil down our direction – some people may think it’s complicated – but if I could boil it down to a simple thing: We want to create a brighter future for all people in this state. Everything boils down to people. Even our environmental goals, at the end of the day, it’s about our kids, and their kids, leaving a better place for those people who are going to inherit and inhabit this planet. It’s all [ Continued on page 20 ]

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about equality. It’s not just for the environment’s sake. It’s all about people. As far as the industry, and the work itself, being adaptable to the direction we are going is something I’m hoping the industry can be partners with us in. I think the industry is embracing and doing a lot of that work already.

CAM: There has been some criticism that the pendulum has swung too far in one direction, that while the emphasis on the environment, equity and other issues are important, they have taken time and attention away of the traditional Caltrans mission of improving transportation in California. What do you say to those critics?

TO: Some people perceive that, because we want to be more environmentally focused, more people focused, that we’re saying that there’s no longer going to be any more construction work. Far from it. There’s going to be a whole lot of construction work. And here’s why: SB1 identified a nearly $100 billion need for maintenance activities in this state. SB1 was a $54 billion bill over 10 years. We still don’t even fully have what we need to keep at an “A Level,” if you will, the maintenance of the state transportation system. Tack on to that the adaptability we need to have now that we are paying more attention to climate change – that wasn’t a part of SB1. For example, there are bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area that are on our list with regard to concern about sea-level rise. That was not a part of SB1. We are a coastal state. So there’s going to be work ongoing. But, for your industry, the question becomes how do you achieve those goals with materials?

The design part is up to us, like what the system is going to look like. But much of the progress we make is measured by the material 20

the industry is going to use. Those two items overlapping together, are very important to the future.

CAM: That’s part of the reason why the asphalt pavement industry has embraced many sustainable practices, such as recycling.

Asphalt is now the world’s most recycled product. We want to be responsive to the needs and goals of our customers, including public agencies like Caltrans.

TO: Right. And another example is when you talk about OGFC – open-graded friction course – and how much it is helping us with storm-water issues.

CAM: Storm-water issues are very big right now with state waterquality regulators, who are revising the Construction General Permit for storm-water runoff from construction activity. Caltrans has contributed important information and insight to this discussion with data about what happens on Caltrans projects. And, yes, research has shown that asphalt open-graded friction course pavement designs that are in widespread use by Caltrans can help mitigate storm-water runoff issues.

TO: We want to be supportive of storm-water and environment issues, but also let people know that things we are doing, like utilizing OGFC, and practices that we are implementing, will pay many dividends for the storm-water challenges we face. There are many issues like this that I think we can be collaborative with the industry on, but it’s all about people at the end of the day.

CAM: On the subject of collaboration, our industry devotes a considerable amount of our time and attention on a collaborative effort known as the Pavement & Materials Partnering Committee,

where specifications and test methods are reviewed and updated, and new, innovative products or practices are evaluated. Many positive achievements have been produced by that effort.

TO: Those kinds of partnerships are beneficial.

CAM: Another collaborative effort we are proud of is the Caltransindustry-academia partnership in the area of long-life asphalt pavements. Work was recently completed on a major project on Interstate 5 in Sacramento, which is designed to last 40 or more years with minimal maintenance.

That has major greenhouse gas reduction implications long-term.

It’s a win for motorists, and a win for the environment, and a win for the taxpayer.

TO: GHG reduction and long-life asphalt are not in conflict with one another. I think it is important to let the industry know. I was at an I-5 milestone event a couple of weeks ago and we discussed using this type of treatment. If you think about the end goal, what is Caltrans, what is the Newsom Administration, what are they trying to achieve now? They want to make sure they leave the state in a better place for generations to come with a reduction in GHG, addressing the climate change challenges we have. What is our part? What can we do? The fact that they are focused on transit, on bike lanes. That’s just once piece. The materials component of the industry is huge. Being able to help us there, partner with us there, will pay a lot of dividends for the state in the long run.

CAM: But some are slow to change, slow to adapt. Some of it is human nature. And engineers are inherently cautious with change unless they are satisfied [ Continued on page 22 ]

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

[ Continued from page 20 ]

they fully understand all the implications, including perhaps unintended consequences. It is an ongoing challenge to expedite the change, expedite the evaluation of something new, and get it into the mainstream.

TO: You’re absolutely right.

CAM: But in California, when it comes to environmental and

climate-change initiatives, we seem to be on the leading edge of the states in many areas.

TO: One of the things we are asking is, how far ahead are we?

And that’s where you guys come in. But how can we do even more?

I want us to be the best. Nobody is facing the challenges we are facing, in the entire country. We’ve got the biggest challenges, so we’ve got to combat it with the

biggest solutions, the brightest, most innovative solutions.

CAM: We’ve covered a lot of ground, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us. Is there anything else you would like to add?

TO: We’re becoming a more people-centric organization. We are going to keep as our core focus the delivery of transportation solutions for the state, but through the lens of making sure we are focused on people. If we are going to do that, at the top of that list for people is safety, climate action and equity. That’s the lens we’re doing it through. But we very much still have to deliver on the needs of the people of this state. Ninety-two percent of the projects we were trying to deliver during the COVID pandemic we delivered. So when you think about all this craziness that’s going on around us, some people thought that things were going to go off the rails, but that didn’t happen. We still delivered 92 % of our projects. The pandemic didn’t derail us. Evolving how we think about transportation differently is only going to enhance the quality of life for the people of this state. We appreciate the partnership from the industry. CA Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA).

Brandon Milar, P.E., is technical director of the association.

REFERENCES: Snyder, R. (2021) “A BIG Deal in Big Sur.” California Asphalt magazine, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, Vol. 25, Issue 3, PP 8-14.

Snyder, R. (2017) “The BIG Fix – The Inside Story of the $52 billion transportation bill.” California Asphalt magazine, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. Vol. 21, Issue 3, PP 8-21.

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23

YEARS OF LOBBYING FINALLY PAY OFF AS LANDMARK $1.2 TRILLION FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WILL MEAN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ROAD WORK FOR CALIFORNIA

By Russell W. Snyder

P

ersistent grassroots lobbying by CalAPA members and other transportation advocates finally paid off this year with President Biden putting his signature on a bipartisan $1.2 trillion bill to repair roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure.

Initial estimates are that federal funding for roads and highways in California could be boosted by 44% over five years.

“On behalf of the CalAPA Board of Directors, I’d like to thank all of our members who kept up the pressure on our Congressional delegation for many years to get this critical bill across the finish line,” said CalAPA Chairman Scott Fraser with R.J. Noble. “Every bit helps.

This bill will provide much-needed long-term funding for road repairs in California, augmenting state and local sources, which will greatly benefit the asphalt pavement industry in every part of our state.”

The legislation, known as the “Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act” (H.R. 3684), cleared the U.S. Senate Aug. 10 on a bipartisan 69-30 vote with both Democratic California senators, Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, voting “yes.” Following the vote Padilla issued a statement to CalAPA members saying, “Poorly maintained roads cost motorists hundreds of dollars a year in fuel economy and car maintenance. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help alleviate these costs 24

and help eliminate time wasted idling in congestion by funding much-needed road repairs across the country. This bill will also create millions of good-paying, union jobs and rebuild our infrastructure to benefit all Californians.”

But final passage of the bill by the House of Representatives was bottled up for months by partisan wrangling over a larger social spending bill known as the “Build Back Better Act.” Once again, California’s outsized influence on national issues came in to play.

The House Progressive Caucus threatened to hold up the infrastructure bill unless there was also an agreement to also bring another Biden Administration legislative priority, the “Build Back Better” bill, to the floor. Of the 95 members of the House Progressive Caucus, 22 are from California.

U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-CA, deputy chair of the Progressive Caucus who hails from Orange County, summarized the situation in a statement posted to Twitter as the infrastructure bill’s fate hung in the balance: “Improved infrastructure, affordable child care, better health care, and climate action are all part of the President's agenda. The American people need Congress to deliver on every single one of these problems. We need both the infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act.”

Following more behind-thescenes negotiating, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, finally brought the infrastructure bill to the floor on Nov. 5 and it passed on a 228206 vote. Thirteen Republicans joined majority Democrats to approve the historic measure. Of California’s 53-member House Delegation – the nation’s largest – the vote was strictly along party lines. All 42 Democratic members of the House from California voted for the bill and all 11 Republican members voted against it. Please see sidebar for a breakdown of how every member of California’s congressional delegation voted on the bill. By prior agreement, the Build Back Better bill also was voted on by the House.

The infrastructure bill includes $110 billion in new funding for roads and bridges. According to U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-CA, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, bill includes $23.3 billion for California in new funding for federal aid highway programs, and $4.2 billion for bridge replacement and repairs. California will also receive $85 million to prevent wildfires, $9.45 billion to improve public transportation, and $384 million to build a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout the state.

Additionally, the legislation will provide $100 million to help improve rural broadband access and $3.5 billion to improve water

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

infrastructure. Garamendi said the vote culminated “months of hard work and negotiations.”

“This is a historic piece of legislation, and a strong investment in our infrastructure and the middle class,” said Garamendi, whose 3rd District covers urban and rural areas in between San Francisco and Sacramento. “The legislation includes much-needed support for America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, rural broadband, and more. It will also create new middle-class jobs by rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure using American materials and workers.”

U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-CA, another member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee whose district includes and abuts the sprawling Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex that has gained unwanted attention for shipping bottlenecks, posted the following statement on social media shortly after the bill passed the House: “Last night, I joined with my House colleagues in passing the historic and bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the largest investment in roads, bridges, freight, ports, clean water and broadband infrastructure in a generation. We must not delay investment in roads, bridges, or the freight infrastructure which forms the backbone of our economy— especially in the 47th District. The bill will improve the movement of goods, and invest in our ports, helping to make our economy more efficient and productive. Under this legislation the Department of Transportation will rightly place more emphasis on environmental and equity impacts of freight movement, which will help the economy and health of our community. These investments will touch virtually every community in America and will lay the foundation for robust economic growth. It will promote good, middle-class jobs and guide our path forward.”

Pictured from left to right, Steve Ward with Pavement Recycling Systems (current CalAPA Legislative Committee Chair), consultant Paul Von Berg, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Denise Cooper with Cooper Engineering and Russell Snyder with CalAPA. The CalAPA coordinated delegation met with Carbajal in his U.S. Capitol office in 2019 to discuss infrastructure funding, part of a multi-year campaign to keep road funding at the top of the policy agenda in Washington.

At a signing ceremony at the White House for the infrastructure bill on Nov. 15, the president said, “This law makes the most significant investment in roads and bridges in the past 70 years.” He added, “Today we’re finally getting this done. So my message to the American people is this: America is moving again, and your life is going to change for the better.”

In attendance at the signing ceremony was U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-CA., who is also a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “It was an honor to stand beside my colleagues and the president as he signed the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law,” he said in a statement. “This bill is a oncein-a generation investment that will propel our economy forward and improve quality of life for every American. It will provide funding the Central Coast needs to expand internet connectivity, fix dilapidated roads and bridges, and improve our public transit

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

and clean water infrastructure.”

Carbajal was one of many members of Congress CalAPA members have met with over the years to lobby for a comprehensive infrastructure funding bill.

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., another member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, said of the bill: “This transformative legislation lays the foundation for strong economic growth by creating millions of good-paying American jobs – an estimated 2 million each year over the course of the next decade – and will accelerate our nation’s path to full employment. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have seen firsthand the critical need to complete long overdue repairs to our nation’s infrastructure.

These investments are crucial to growing our local, regional, and national economy and will help communities’ across the country plan their growth, connect our cities, and significantly improve 25

Attendees at the Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference Oct. 13 in Sacramento. FHWA officials briefed attendees on the infrastructure bill.

safety along our roads, bridges and rail systems.”

At CalAPA’s Fall Asphalt Pavement Conference held Oct. 13 in Sacramento, Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans officials spoke positively of the anticipated impact the bill would have on federal and state programs. During a subsequent conference call with construction industry leaders, Caltrans Acting Chief Engineer Nabila Abi-Rached echoed a similar optimistic tone with regard to a surge of transportation improvement projects that could flow from the bill in addition to state and local sources of funding, including from SB1, that have already produced a flurry of construction activity across the state.

Based on initial estimates released by the Federal Highway Administration the federal IIJA bill will pump more than $29.9 billion in federal funding to California over the five-year life of the bill, which represents a 44% increase over current baseline funding levels. The FHWA is expected to release more detailed estimates in the weeks ahead. Caltrans officials expect it will take a year or longer for the federal funds to show up in the form of projects put out to bid.

26

CalAPA Legislative Committee members Scott Metcalf with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (left) and Steve Ward with Pavement Recycling Systems at the U.S. Capitol in 2019.

CalAPA’s grass-roots advocacy in support of increased federal investments in road and highway funding have taken many forms over the years, including phone calls and letters, coordinated e-mail campaigns, all amplified by social media. The association has also coordinated numerous meetings at the Capitol in Washington with lawmakers and their staff, as well as arranging tours of asphalt plants back at home districts. Close coordination with CalAPA’s partners at the National Asphalt Pavement Association also helped shape the IIJA bill as it moved through Congress.

“Being on the front end of legislation before it’s law is critical,” observed Scott Metcalf with Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, a longtime Legislative Committee member and U.S. Capitol “Fly-In” participant, in a recent interview. Reacting to the passage of the IIJA, he added, “This is important for California, but also critical for the basic infrastructure for other states. They can finally stop putting Band-Aids on pavements and do some real good for their network.”

Steve Ward with Pavement Recycling Systems, current CalAPA Legislative Committee chairman,

said: “I have participated with the CalAPA legislative advocacy efforts for quite a few years now and I have found it to be the most member-inclusive efforts that I have ever participated in. CalAPA has always remained focused on its mission to drive legislation that has a positive effect on the asphalt industry.”

Reacting to the passage of the IIJA, he said: “If I’m not mistaken, the federal spending legislation that funded our interstate system’s construction through the 1950’s and 60’s at the time was the largest investment in infrastructure to date, and for the most part, it was spent wisely and transformed America, in one way or another improving the lives of all Americans for decades. This current effort has the potential to restore much of that legacy, as well as modernize and improve on it, provided our leaders have the wisdom and the will to spend it wisely, and we the American public have the will to hold these and future leaders accountable for meeting its promised accomplishments.”

The Sacramento Bee newspaper recognized CalAPA’s leadership on the issue when it published a statement Nov. 6 from CalAPA [ Continued on page 28 ]

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

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27

[ Continued from page 26 ]

about the bill: "This will greatly accelerate this much-needed road work in a way that will be noticed by every Californian in the form of smoother and safer roadways.

Helping reduce bottlenecks in our goods-movement network will also increase efficiency and provide a big boost to the state’s economy."

The article also cited the National Asphalt Pavement Association, a CalAPA partner.

The media attention came on the heels of a letter to the editor

by CalAPA that was published July 15 in The Wall Street Journal alongside a commentary by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. “We’re protecting and enhancing the Interstate Highway System we have inherited,” the CalAPA letter said. “We’re not focused so much on boosting productivity as keeping a decrepit system from strangling productivity. Filling

potholes is about so much more than driver comfort. Rough roads cost motorists in car repairs, accidents and lost fuel economy.”

CalAPA will continue to provide members detailed information and analysis on what the IIJA will mean for the asphalt pavement industry in California. CA Russell W. Snyder, CAE, is executive director of the California Asphalt Pavement Association.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi. D-CA (right) toured an asphalt plant in Marysville in 2012 as part of a years-long campaign by CalAPA to build support for federal infrastructure funding. The event was co-sponsored by the National Asphalt Pavement Association Political Action Committee.

REFERENCES: Snyder, R. (2021) “CalAPA’s Advocacy Efforts: Focused & effective by design to deliver quality results.”

California Asphalt magazine, Journal of the California Asphalt Pavement Association, Vol. 25, Issue 5, PP 8-17.

PUTTING THE IIJA IN CONTEXT The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act represents a historic boost in federal funds devoted to infrastructure, but it’s easy to get lost in the numbers.

In a Nov. 18 column in The Washington Post, columnist Fareed Zakaria cited a study

by Yale economist Ray Fair that tracked historic levels of infrastructure spending compared to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a broad measure of the country’s economic output.

“One way to make clear what a shift the Biden administration’s infrastructure

28

legislation represents is to look at the amount that the federal government has spent on infrastructure over the decades,” Zakaria, also a CNN host, wrote. “In the 1950s and ’60s, infrastructure spending as a percent of gross domestic product was over 1 %, In 2019, decades later and with an exponentially bigger economy, spending was at about 0.7 % of GDP. The new surge of spending from the bill will raise it to about 1.3 % over the next five years. And the bill has many good ideas to encourage private investments that would increase these numbers.”

“Infrastructure sounds like a bore,” Zakaria concluded, “but it’s important not simply because of the obvious fact that it makes the economy run.

Spending on infrastructure is a sign of a healthy society that is willing to invest in its future.”

REFERENCES: Zakaria, F. (2021) “Opinion: Spending on infrastructure might not be sexy. But it’s even more important than you think.” The Washington Post. Nov. 18, 2021.

Fair, Ray C. (2021) “U.S. Infrastructure: 1929-2019” (Accessed on line).

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

HOW THEY VOTED:

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT & JOBS ACT

Editor’s Note: On Nov. 5, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve a historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill on a bipartisan vote of 228-206, with a majority of Democrats and 13 Republicans voting to send the bill to the president’s desk.

Of California’s 53-member House Delegation, all 42 Democrats voted for the bill, and all 11 of California’s Republican members voted no. What follows is the breakdown of the vote according to the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.

DEMOCRATS FOR:

DEMOCRATS AGAINST:

NONE

Pete Aguilar.................... CA31

Zoe Lofgren..................... CA19

Nanette Barragan........... CA44

Alan Lowenthal............... CA47

Karen Bass..................... CA37

Doris Matsui................... CA06

Ami Bera......................... CA07

Jerry McNerney.............. CA09

Julia Brownley................ CA26

Grace F. Napolitano........ CA32

Salud Carbejal................ CA24

Jimmy Panetta................ CA20

Ken Calvert......................... CA42

Tony Cardenas................ CA29

Nancy Pelosi................... CA12

Mike Garcia......................... CA25

Judy Chu,........................ CA27

Scott Peters.................... CA52

Darrell Issa......................... CA50

J. Lewis Correa............... CA46

Katie Porter..................... CA46

Young Kim.......................... CA39

Jim Costa........................ CA16

Lucille Royball-Allard...... CA40

Doug LaMalfa...................... CA01

Mark DeSaulnier............. CA11

Paul Ruiz......................... CA56

Kevin McCarthy................... CA23

Anna G. Eshoo................. CA18

Linda T. Sanchez............ CA38

Tom McClintock.................. CA04

John Garamendi............. CA03

Adam Schiff.................... CA28

Devin Nunez........................ CA22

Jimmy Gomez................. CA34

Brad Sherman................. CA30

Jay Obernolte..................... CA08

Josh Harder.................... CA10

Jackie Speier.................. CA14

Michelle Steele................... CA48

Jared Huffman................ CA02

Eric Swalwell.................. CA15

David Valadao..................... CA21

Sara Jacobs.................... CA53

Mark Takano................... CA41

Ro Khanna...................... CA17

Mike Thompson.............. CA06

Barbara Lee.................... CA13

Norma Torres.................. CA35

Mike Levin...................... CA49

Juan C. Vargas................ CA51

Ted Lieu.......................... CA33

Maxine Waters................ CA43

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

REPUBLICANS AGAINST:

REPUBLICANS FOR:

NONE 29

ADVERTISERS RECEIVE ENHANCED LISTING WITH PHOTO

CATERPILLAR, INC. cat.com (620) 660-8391

COASTLINE EQUIPMENT Continued...

A.G. INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY, INC. agindsupply.com (815) 440.9904 AMMANN AMERICA INC. ammann.com (954) 493-0010 ASPHALT SUPPLY & TECHNOLOGY asphaltsupplytech.com (775) 353-4182

ASTEC INDUSTRIES astecindustries.com Michael Souther - Territory Sales Manager (209) 552-9483 MSouther@astecindustries.com Equipment Offered: Since 1981 Astec has manufactured reliable and durable asphalt road building equipment. Best known for the revolutionary Shuttle Buggy® material transfer vehicle, Astec also builds dependable asphalt pavers, road milling machines, and soil stabilizers. Astec markets and services this equipment worldwide through a vast network of skilled and experienced service technicians, sales managers and dealers.

CLAIREMONT EQUIPMENT clairemontequipment.com San Diego, CA (858) 278-8351

Imperial, CA (760) 355-7700

Escondido, CA (760) 739-9100

Indio, CA (760) 863-5558

Fontana, CA (909) 429-9100

San Diego, CA (858) 278-8338

Equipment offered: Atlas Copco (Dynapac) double smooth drum rollers, rubber tired rollers, single drum rollers, tampers, vibra plates.

Gorman-Rupp pumps and pumping systems. Finn Corp. hydroseeders, bark, mulch and straw blowers.

Komatsu excavators, dozers, wheel loaders, compact multi-purpose loaders, backhoes, skip loaders, skid steer loaders. Komatsu Forklifts. JLG lifts. Yanmar diesel engines.

COASTLINE

Equipment

BOMAG AMERICAS bomag.com (309) 853-3571 BUTLER JUSTICE, INC butlerjustice.com (714) 696-7599

30

COASTLINE EQUIPMENT coastlineequipment.com Bakersfield, CA (661) 399-3600

Long Beach, CA (562) 272-7400

Oxnard, CA (805) 485-2106

Meridian, ID (208) 888-3337

Santa Ana, CA (714) 265-5500

Jerome, ID (208) 324-2900

Santa Maria, CA (805) 922-8329

Elko, NV (775) 777-7070

Sylmar, CA (818) 890-3353

N. Las Vegas, NV (702) 399-2700

McCall, ID (208) 634-3903 Equipment offered: John Deere skip loaders, excavators, backhoes, skid steers, motor graders, wheel loaders, crawler loaders, Hitachi excavators & rigid frame trucks, Hamm compaction equipment and Doosan air compressors, Trail King trailers and Kent hydraulic breakers.

CONSOLIDATED INDUSTRIAL SERVICES cispaving.com (562) 490-3330 CONTROLS GROUP USA, INC. controls-usa.com (847) 551-5775 DIII TRANSPORT CORP. diiitransport.com (619) 271-3445

E. D. ETNYRE & CO. etnyre.com sales@etnyre.com Oregon, IL (800) 995-2116 Equipment offered: Etnyre: asphalt distributors, chipspreaders, heavy duty trailers, live bottom trailers and asphalt transports.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

FIBRECRETE PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES fibrecretept.com (336) 479-1824 FUGRO USA LAND fugro.com (949) 222-2246

HAWTHORNE CAT Continued...

San Diego, CA (800) 437-4228 Equipment offered: Caterpillar: cold planers, asphalt pavers, road reclaimers, soil stabilizers, asphalt compactors, soil compactors, pneumatic compactors, vibratory asphalt compactors, vibratory soil compactors.

Weiler Paving Product Line: asphalt windrow elevators, commercial pavers, remixing transfer vehicles, road wideners.

GOLDSTAR ASPHALT PRODUCTS goldstarasphalt.com Large Inventory, Rent Bare or Operated Products offered: • Seal Coat / Crack Filler • Bulk Delivery • Plant Pick-Up • Job Tanks 550 - 6,000 gal • Material Sales • Shipping Nationwide Equipment Rental and Sales Division: Grinders, Pavers, Rollers, Coring Machines, Seal Machines, Blades, Skip Loaders, Backhoes, Skid Steers, Kick Brooms, CY Loaders, Tack Rigs, Seal Tanks, Hot Crack Fill Machines, Striping Machines, Berm Machines, Low Bed Services and Crew Rentals.

Nationwide (833) HAULHUB

Products Offered: • JOBslip - For your customers.

Provide simple access to digital tickets on every project.

Provide real-time visibility into tonnage and ticket data.

• SalesSlip - For your sales team.

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Roseville, CA (916) 783-9333

Bloomington, CA (909) 877-5597

Equipment offered: Bomag Cedarapids asphalt pavers and pick-up machines, Bomag double drum and pneumatic rollers and profilers and stabilizers, Roadtec Shuttle Buggies, Mills and Stabilizers, Carlson paving products, Etnyre oil spreaders and chip spreaders.

HAULHUB TECHNOLOGIES haulhub.com/e-ticketing

Solve All Your e-Ticketing Needs

HAWTHORNE CAT www.hawthornecat.com

HERRMANN EQUIPMENT INC. herrmannequipment.com

• TMS Portal - For your crew.

Designed to digitally link every aspect of your supply chain with solutions for Carriers, Brokers and Field operators.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

HOLT OF CALIFORNIA holtca.com Los Banos, CA (209) 826-4919

Stockton , CA (209) 466-6000

Pleasant Grove, CA (916) 921-8800 Equipment offered: Caterpillar: cold planers, asphalt pavers, road reclaimers, soil stabilizers, asphalt compactors, soil compactors, pneumatic compactors, vibratory asphalt compactors, vibratory soil compactors, intelligent compaction and thermal mapping.

Weiler Paving Product Line: asphalt windrow elevators, commercial pavers, remixing transfer vehicles, road wideners.

31

INFRATEST USA, INC infratestusa.com (781) 253-8010

MAXAM EQUIPMENT, INC. maxamequipment.com (800) 292-6070

INSTROTEK INC. instrotek.com (925) 363-9770

MONSEN ENGINEERING, LLC monsenengineering.com (800) 821-0672

KENCO ENGINEERING, INC. kencoengineering.com butlerjustice.com Roseville, CA (800) 363-9859 Southern California BUTLER-JUSTICE INC. Anaheim, CA (714) 696-7599 Parts for excavating and paving process: Earth Moving: bulldozer and motor grader blades, compactor and scraper wear parts. Milling, Stabilizers and Recycling: ejector paddles, skis, side apron and skirt protection, scraper blades, cutter box and drum protection.

Material Transfer Vehicles: Tungsten carbide augers, hopper protection, floors. Pavers: floors, screeds, augers, curb machine parts.

Parts and solutions for: Asphalt Plants: flights, liners, mixer tips, silo liners, slat floors, and more. We can ARMOR your Loader/Excavator Buckets: cutting edges, corner protectors, heel plates, modular bucket floors, side protectors etc. Crushers: Kenco’s Black Gold RAP crusher, HSI apron and wall liners, Jaw cheek plates and RAP crusher liners. Miscellaneous Wear: Kenco Wear Patch: Highly effective wear solution in many sizes and shapes. Wear Plates: Kenco Alloy-K wear plates from .375” to 1” thick in 550 and 700 Brinell and unlimited range of Tungsten Carbide impregnated parts and plates.

LIBRA SYSTEMS librasystems.com (925) 437-3026

32

NIXON-EGLI EQUIPMENT CO. nixon-egli.com sales@nixon-egli.com Ontario, CA (909) 930-1822

PAVEMENT RECYCLING SYSTEMS, INC Continued...

Main Office Jurupa Valley, CA (951) 682-1091

Lancaster, CA (661) 948-5599

Bakersfield, CA (661) 833-2280

Sacramento, CA (916) 685-2204

Escondido, CA (760) 489-6888

Reno, NV (775) 246-2500

Equipment offered: Cold planing/milling machines, cold asphalt recycling (train or stationary), soil stabilization equipment, profile diamond grinding, intelligent compaction rollers, micro-mills, micro-planers, rumble strip machines, asphalt pulverizers and smoothness solutions.

Tracy, CA (209) 830-8600

Equipment offered: Vogele asphalt pavers, LeeBoy: asphalt pavers, motorgraders, and tack distributors, Hamm rollers, Rosco: oil distributors, chip spreaders, and brooms, Wirtgen: milling machines and soil stabilizers, Stewart-Amos Sweepers, Link-Belt cranes, Kleemann: crushing and screening equipment, Gradall telescoping excavators: Midland road wideners, Elliot Equipment: sign trucks and boom trucks, Felling trailers, Maintainer truck bodies and Zieman trailers.

PAPÉ MACHINERY papemachinery.com (916) 922-7181

PAVEMENT RECYCLING SYSTEMS, INC pavementrecycling.com (800) 966-7774

PETERSON CAT petersoncat.com Fortuna, CA (707) 725-1888

San Martin, CA (408) 686-1195

Chico, CA (530) 343-1911

Santa Rosa, CA (707) 576-1616

Redding, CA (530) 243-5410

Willits, CA (707) 459-9006

San Leandro, CA (510) 357-6200

Willows, CA (530) 934-8839

Equipment Offered: Caterpillar: cold planers, asphalt pavers, road reclaimers, soil stabilizers, asphalt compactors, soil compactors, pneumatic compactors, vibratory asphalt compactors, vibratory soil compactors. Weiler Paving Product Line: asphalt windrow elevators, commercial pavers, remixing transfer vehicles, road wideners.

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

PINE TEST EQUIPMENT, INC. pinetestequipment.com (724) 458-6393

RDO EQUIPMENT CO. RDOequipment.com (800) 494-4863 RDO INTEGRATED CONTROLS RDOIC.com (800) 494-4863 SAKAI AMERICA, INC. sakaiamerica.com (770) 877-9433 SAM RHODES, INC. samrhodesinc.com (530) 906-9777

San Leandro, CA 888-4-A-LASER

QUINN COMPANY quinncompany.com info@quinncompany.com Murrieta (951) 696-1063

Corcoran, CA (559) 992-2193

Oxnard, CA (805) 485-2171

Firebaugh, CA (559) 659-3444

Riverside, CA (951) 686-4560

Foothill Ranch, CA (949) 768-1777

Salinas, CA (831) 758-8461

SCOTT EQUIPMENT scottequip.com

Fresno, CA (559) 896-4040

Santa Maria, CA (805) 925-8611

14635 Valley Blvd.

Fontana, CA 92335 (909) 822-2200

Indio (760) 342-1597

Sylmar, CA (818) 767-7171

Lancaster, CA (661) 942-1177

Victorville (760) 947-0967

Equipment Offered: Caterpillar: cold planers, soil compactors, vibratory soil compactors, vibratory asphalt compactors, pneumatic tire compactors, wheel and track asphalt pavers, screeds, and road reclaimers. Weiler Paving Product Line: elevators, road wideners, remixing transfer vehicles and commercial pavers.

Willows, CA (530) 513-2551

SITECH OREGON SITECHoregon.com

Bakersfield, CA (661) 393-5800

Los Angeles, CA (562) 463-4000

SITECH NORCAL SITECHnorcal.com

Aurora, OR (503) 280-1505

Equipment Offered: Doosan Tier 4 wheeled excavators, Tier 4 crawler excavators, articulated dump trucks and attachments. New Holland compact excavators, compact track loaders, compact wheel loaders, skid steer loaders and track loaders.

Kobelco conventional excavators, demolition machines, SR series and mini excavators. Full line Mecalac dealer and Merlo Telehandler.

Equipment Offered: SITECH NorCal is northern California, Oregon, and southwest Washington’s authorized Trimble® dealer, service provider, and certified training facility offering a complete portfolio of construction technology systems to the civil engineering, construction, heavy highway, aggregate, and waste management industries. We service our customers from locations in San Leandro and Willows, CA as well as Aurora, OR. Our product lines include: machine control systems, GPS systems, surveying equipment, engineering software, UAV (drone) solutions, optical instruments, construction lasers, UAV (drone) solutions, and accessories. As an independent factory dealer, we also sell and service Trimble Loadrite™, Spectra Precision, Seco, and Crain products.

The California Asphalt Magazine Annual Equipment Guide is a service for CalAPA Members.

For information on becoming a CalAPA member.

RAMOS OIL ramosoil.com (916) 371-3289

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

Please Call: (916)

791-5044 33

STANSTEEL ASPHALT PLANT PRODUCTS stansteel.com (502) 244-4046 SURFACE SYSTEMS & INSTRUMENTS, INC. (SSI) smoothroad.com (415) 383-0570 SITECH PACIFIC SITECHPacific.com Riverside, CA (951) 300-0400

VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT & SERVICES vcesvolvo.com

Equipment/Services Offered: SITECH Pacific serves the construction market technology needs from our Inland Empire Office in Riverside, California.

As an Authorized Trimble Dealer, we offer Trimble Machine Control and Site Positioning products, solutions, consultation and training to support our customers’ success in the field.

TRANSTECH SYSTEMS, INC. transtechsys.com 900 Albany Shaker Road, Suite #2 Latham, NY 12110 (800) 724-6306 John Lamond – Sales Manager jlamond@transtechsys.com (518) 560-0387 SITECH WEST SITECHWest.com Sacramento, CA (916) 921-0550 Equipment/Services Offered: SITECH West is your one-stop source for high-tech solutions for construction equipment in California’s Central and North Valley. As an authorized, independent Trimble dealer located in Sacramento, we’re able to offer a wide selection of new, used and rental Trimble products that will help you maximize performance and productivity on every project. We also provide complete sales and service for Seco, Apache, Laserline and Crain equipment.

Our technology product offerings include: construction lasers, laser levels, surveying equipment, machine control systems, GPS systems, optical equipment, engineering software and accessories.

34

Equipment offered: TransTech Systems, established in 1994, is an innovative company that produces the Pavement Quality Indicator (PQI). The PQI our flagship product is the original non-nuclear asphalt density gauge with over 20 years in the industry. The PQI 380 conforms to ASTM D7113 and AASHTO T343. Additionally, we produce the Notched Wedge Joint Maker (centerline joint) and the Shoulder Wedge Maker (meets FHWA safety edge requirements). Although TransTech Systems is a small company in Upstate NY, our products are used in over 87 countries around the world.

TROXLER ELECTRONIC LABORATORIES, INC. troxlerlabs.com (919) 819-2488

Corona, CA (951) 277-7620

Turlock, CA (209) 410-6710

Lakeside, CA (619) 441-3690

San Leandro, CA (510) 357-9131

Bakersfield, CA (661) 387-6090

Sacramento, CA (916) 504-2300

Fresno, CA (559) 834-4420 Providing a full line of Volvo Heavy equipment along the state of California.

Seven locations with sales, service, parts & rentals.

Equipment Offered: Heavy construction equipment, Compact construction equipment, road machinery, compaction equipment and Portable Power and Demolition attachments.

BEING A CALAPA MEMBER HAS ITS BENEFITS! For more details visit: www.CalAPA.net or Call:

916.791.5044

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

ELIMINATE THE WASTE OF PAPER TICKETS Asphalt is America's most recycled product. HaulHub is committed to helping California’s producers, contractors, and suppliers continue that environmental trend with e-Ticketing tools that are better for the environment and your bottom line.

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S PREMIER EQUIPMENT DEALER Fontana / 909-822-2200

www.scottequip.com Serving California For 50 Years!

14635 Valley Blvd., Fontana, CA 92335

Santa Fe Springs / 562-777-0775

10918 Shoemaker Ave., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

SALES • RENTALS • PARTS • SERVICE MINI EXCAVATORS / SKID STEERS BACKHOES / SKIP LOADERS 35

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Remembering Jim Grace 5/3/41 – 9/14/21

Jimmie (Jim) Dean Grace was a well-known member of the construction industry in Southern California and a known “old car” aficionado. Jim and his wife Carol made their home in San Clemente, CA. Since his retirement from the R.J. Noble Company in 2000, Jim has enjoyed playing golf and tinkering on his old cars. Jim could be seen at many of the local car runs and Woodie shows which he loved.

Jim came to California from Missouri as a teenager. Shortly after his arrival in California, he met his wife, Carol, and they married. Early in their marriage, they were walking on the beach in San Clemente, and they were marveling at the fine houses on the cliffs above facing the ocean.

Jim turned to Carol and told her that someday you would live there.

She laughed as they continued to enjoy the day together. Jim got the job with R J Noble and became an important part of that company.

Years later, Jim & Carol built a house in Capistrano Beach, a beautiful Victorian-style house that many thought would be their final home. Jim took such care in the detail that during the construction of the master bathroom, he had the workers raise the bathtub, with Carol in it, until she could see

36

the ocean and told them to set it there. Several years later, he came home and told Carol that he had sold their home. We’re told that Carol was quite surprised and said, “what are we going to do”? That is when Jim told her that he had bought the property on those cliffs in San Clemente overlooking the ocean, fulfilling his promise from many years prior. That was the kind of man that Jim Grace was and will be remembered for.

Jim began his career with R.J. Noble in 1965 as a dispatcher at their plant in Orange, CA. Jim and Norm Wright shared an office, Jim as the dispatcher and Norm as the weighmaster. Jim continued in the production division of the company, eventually replacing Clovis Keller in charge of asphalt plants and rock quarries. Jim continued his tenure with the Noble Company, eventually becoming the Vice President. Jim worked with all of the various owners of the company through the years, including Bob Noble, Paul Cleary Sr. and Paul Cleary Jr. Paul Cleary Jr. remembered Jim by saying many wonderful things, including that he was a “good friend” and “You couldn’t ask for a finer employee.” Jim was a gentlemen’s gentleman and always worked well with everyone.

After 35 years, Jim retired in 2000 when the Cleary’s sold the company to Mike Carver. Even after retirement, Jim maintained a close relationship with Paul Cleary Jr., even after Paul and his wife had relocated to Montana.

Besides a good game of golf, one of Jim’s passions was old cars.

Jim could often be found in his old garage in San Clemente on El Camino Real (close to the golf course), working on his latest project. Jim was a member of the Southern California Woodie Club as well as the National Woodie Club.

About 12 years ago, Jim actually converted a 1952 Ford F-100 Panel Truck into a Woodie. A unique effort for which he received many accolades. CA

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

CA Lic. #569352

SAFETY & QUALITY 100% Employee Owned

CORE VALUES OF PRS

WE EXTEND OUR THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT HAVE, AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US! YOUR PARTNERSHIPS AND BUSINESS MEAN THE WORLD TO US. BEST WISHES FOR A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AND A VERY HAPPY 2022. - FROM OUR TEAM OF EMPLOYEE OWNERS

(800) 966-7774 | www.pavementrecycling.com

(800) 300-4240 SERVING: LOS ANGELES, ORANGE, VENTURA AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES.

FIVE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED PLANT LOCATIONS Sun Valley Plants 11462 Penrose St. Sun Valley, Ca 91352 Irwindale Plant 2600 Avenida Barbosa Irwindale, Ca 91706 South Gate Plant South Gate Recycling 5625 Southern Ave. South Gate, Ca 90280 Inglewood Plant 441 Railroad Place Inglewood, Ca 90301 Victorville Plant Victorville Recycling 15650 Air Expressway Victorville, Ca 92394

www.BlueDiamondAsphalt.com

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

37

Albina Asphalt........................................................................ 19 Astec......................................................................................... 7 Clairemont Equipment.......................................................... 23 Coastline Equipment............................................................... 5 E.D. Etnyre & Co.................................................................... 38 GoldStar Asphalt Products.................................................. 21 HaulHub Technologies.......................................................... 35 Hawthorne CAT........................................................................ 2 Herrmann Equipment, Inc.................................................... 17 Holt of California...................................................................... 2 Kenco...................................................................................... 27 Nixon-Egli Equipment Co.....................................Back Cover Pavement Recycling Systems............................................. 37 Peterson CAT........................................................................... 2 PRI Asphalt Technologies.................................................... 27 Quinn Co................................................................................... 2 Scott Equipment..............................................................23, 35 Sitech...................................................................................... 15 Sully-Miller Contracting Co................................................. 37 Taylor Environmental Services............................................ 38 TransTech Systems, Inc........................................................ 22 Volvo Construction Equipment & Svcs................................. 3 VSS International................................................................... 39

Scott Taylor

P: (714) 587-2595 Ex 101 scott.taylor@tayloresinc.com

Susana Mitchell

P: (714) 587-2595 Ex 102 susana.mitchell@tayloresinc.com

www.tayloresinc.com 38

California Asphalt Magazine • 2021 Public Works Issue

PAVEMENT SPECIALISTS MICRO SURFACING SLURRY SEAL FIBER SEAL ASPHALT RUBBER CHIP SEAL CAPE SEAL CRACK SEAL

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6751 W. Galveston Street Chandler, AZ 85226 480.940.9690

West Sacramento, California 916.373.1500 n

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