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The California Asphalt Pavement Association
Vol. 19, Issue 19 || May 11, 2026
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Greetings!
This weekly report contains news and information of interest to the asphalt pavement industry, customers and agency partners in California. Please feel free to distribute this newsletter to others who may be interested in asphalt pavements. To subscribe to the newsletter click HERE. To provide feedback or story ideas click HERE. Having difficulty viewing this newsletter? View as Webpage
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In focus: Gas prices figure prominently in gubernatorial contest, but the connection to fixing roads is muddled | | |
As Californian's wade through the list of 61 candidates for governor in advance of the state's June 2 primary election, the price Californians pay at the pump has become a central campaign issue. Lost in the debate, however, is how part of those funds are used to fix California roads.
At a chaotic April 28 debate featuring eight of the top candidates at Pomona College, a spike in gas prices in the wake of the war in Iran was prominently featured, although there were differing views on how to address it. Asphalt is a petroleum-based product, and the price and availability of asphalt has been heavily influenced by what is happening with oil refineries across California, the nation, and the globe. Californians these days are getting a quick education into the interplay between energy policy, petroleum availability, regulations, geopolitics, refinery capacity and road repairs. It is no doubt leaving many scratching their heads.
At the candidate forum, Republican Steve Hilton put forward an idea to cap the price of gas at $3 per gallon, with no detailed plan on how to do so. Democrat Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose, pledged to suspend the gas tax, even though a governor has no authority to take such action. Other candidates, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Attorney General and Biden cabinet official Xavier Becerra, and former former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, all Democrats, said suspending the gas tax was not the way to go.
At risk of getting tangled up in electoral politics is a foundational piece of how transportation is funded in California, via taxes levied on motorists through the fuel they use, to maintain the roads they drive on. And then there is the issue of Electric Vehicles, which are taking up a greater share of cars on the roads but pay zero gas tax. Even policy wonks have a difficult time explaining the Byzantine financing system that has developed over the past century.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has previously said that his administration has no plans to support a suspension of the fuel tax, which was raised in as part of SB1, the $50 billion Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017. The measure, meant to address decades of underinvestment, indexed fuel taxes to inflation with an annual adjustment. On top of a foreign war in the Persian Gulf, disrupting oil supplies globally, prices have increased nationally, as well as in California. A handy graphic about what goes into a cost of gasoline consumers pay, produced by the Western States Petroleum Association, is HERE.
Transportation California, a broad-based employer-union coalition, is also opposed to suspending the fuel tax, which has been tried at times in other states and found to be ineffective. A Transportation California fact sheet on the various mechanisms in place to protect transportation funding is HERE.
And then we'll add one more level of complexity: federal transportation funding is set to expire Sept. 30, and if history is any guide getting Congress to pass a surface transportation reauthorization bill in an Election Year will be a tall order.
In a heretofore sleepy gubernatorial campaign to replace Newsom, who must leave office in January due to term limits, energy and transportation policy are suddenly front and center. But detailed and realistic plans to address high prices are in short supply. That's because complex transportation policy doesn't easily fit into a 30-second ad, campaign stump speech or post-card camaign mailer. Once again California voters are left to sort it all out and wonder, How did we get here?"
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Advocacy and opportunity thorough the eyes of a CalAPA intern | |
University of California, Davis graduate student Coral Richardson, who will be earning her Masters Degree in Political Science this year, has crammed a lot of practical work experience into her short time as a CalAPA intern.
So far, Richardson has helped with logistics for CalAPA's annual "Fly-in" to the state Capitol (a previous Asphalt Insider report on that event is HERE), sat in on policy meetings with elected officials and legislative staff, and helped draft association position letters (she is pictured alongside state Sen. Tony Strickland at a Sacramento event).
She has also attended legislative events put on by other associations that CalAPA routinely coordinates with on issues of mutual interest, Including generous invitations extended by our colleagues at Associated General Contractors of California and United Contractors.
In support of the CalAPA Environmental Committee and the CalAPA Legislative Committee, Richardson has conducted research and shared her findings at committee meetings. Her work, and personal experience, was even highlighted in the cover story that appeared in the most recent issue of the association magazine, California Asphalt, which on-line HERE.That particular issue, focusing on a controversial "de-pave" campaign, is one of the most viewed digital issues of the magazine in recent years.
Her tour of duty with the asphalt association is just the latest workforce recruitment and development activity undertaken by CalAPA, and advanced by CalAPA's work force-centric charity, the California Asphalt Research & Education (CARE) Foundation.
Work-force recruitment and development is prominently featured in the CalAPA strategic plan, and in the past the association offered free attendance for dozens of undergraduate college students to attend CalAPA technical conferences, as well as sponsoring graduate students into the International Road Federation "Road Scholar" program to coincide with the Transportation Research Board meetings in Washington, D.C. CalAPA's longtime support of the Women of Asphalt California Branch is widely known and highly regarded.
Previous CalAPA interns have gone on to success in industry, including another UCD graduate, Hamza Shallwani. A previous CalAPA-sponsored Road Scholar, Stephanus Louw, landed a prominent role at the University of California Pavement Research Center. An engineering student employed for a time at CalAPA, Ritha Nhorn, entered state service with the State Water Resources Control Board as a Water Resource Control Engineer. Her experience helping coordinate CalAPA's technical training program exposed her to practical experience in learning the types of technical knowledge engineers and others need to possess in the asphalt industry.
Richardson will be seeking employment this summer and plans to use her CalAPA recommendation in the pursuit of that goal. Part of the CalAPA recommendation will be that she has already proven her worth to hit the ground running and add value from Day 1, a key attribute for any prospective employer.
| | CalAPA Intern Coral Richardson (right) meets Transportation California Executive Director Kiana Valentine at a legislative event. CalAPA is part of the Transportation California coaltion. | | CalAPA intern Coral Richardson (left) meets with United Contractors CEO Emily Cohen (center) and Chris O'Connor, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for AGC of California. Both associations extended invitations to Richardson to attend their legislative events at the Capitol. | | CalAPA Intern Coral Richardson (left) meets with Ray Hopkins, Chief of the Caltrans Division of Construction. Richardson's stint at CalAPA has exposed her to the wide variety of relationships the association has with key stakeholders. | | Countdown to 'Asphalt Day' May 15 | |
Just a reminder: "Asphalt Day," a celebration of all things asphalt, is scheduled to take place this Friday, May 15. It's not yet a national holiday, but nevertheless there's plenty to celebrate.
Various activities are planned to mark the occasion, and the Asphalt Institute has assembled enough campaign resources to fill a silo HERE.
In preparation for Asphalt Day, CalAPA posted a photo on social media of the asphalt "shrine" in the CalAPA offices in West Sacramento.The Instagram post can be viewed HERE. For some reason, last year's photo of the "shrine" was our most liked and shared CalAPA social media post on our LinkedIn page. We're pleased to announce that the winner of our impromptu contest to name the new items added to our shrine since last year is Andrew Onoja, a graduate student researcher at UC Davis. A profile of Onoja was chronicled in CalAPA's official magazine, California Asphalt, and can be viewed on-line HERE.
So remember, this Friday and every day, say it loud and say it proud: Asphalt covers 95% of paved surfaces in California. Why? Because it is smooth, quiet, safe, durable and 100% recyclable. But you knew that.
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Welcome aboard: R&R Horn Contractors, Inc. | |
CalAPA is pleased to welcome its newest contractor member, R&R Horn Contractors, Inc., based in Chico, Calif.
R&R Horn was established in 1992 by Richard Horn and has experienced rapid growth in recent years, expanding from its base in Northern California. The certified small business performs asphalt paving as well as other general engineering and construction management services. The company describes itself as "a business built on values with its vision keenly focused on technology and sustainability."
For more information contact Richard Horn, company president, or Vice President Quin Hogan at (530) 892-1324. The company's website is HERE.
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Each week we highlight a word, acronym or other term commonly used in the asphalt pavement industry in California.
CREOSOTE: An oily liquid, used in wood preservation, colorless when pure but usually colored yellow or brown by impurity or exposure.
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Paving Pointer of the Week | |
Each week we highlight a key point or best practice of interest to asphalt paving crews, inspectors and others working in the field. We welcome suggestions. More tips can be found in our "Asphalt Parking Lot Construction Checklist" HERE. Information on the CalAPA "Quality Paving Certificate" program is HERE.
PREPARING FOR ASPHALT DELIVERY: Ask yourself: Has a pre-paving meeting been held with the paving foreman to inspect the sub-base? Have you checked the site for possible safety issues?
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Each week we highlight a term that is specific to climate-change issues related to the asphalt pavement industry. This feature is intended to raise awareness of the asphalt industry's climate-change initiatives and the specialized terminology that goes with them. More information on "The Road Forward" asphalt industry climate initiative can be found HERE. A recent CalAPA magazine story on the topic is HERE.
ZERO WASTE: System-wide approach maximizing recycling and reducing waste/consumption.
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Caltrans Statewide Crude Oil Price Index | |
Editor's Note: As a convenience to our readers, Asphalt Insider reports the most current Caltrans "Statewide Crude Oil Price Index" posting. The department posts this monthly on its public website HERE. The index is used to calculate payment adjustments for paving asphalt under special provisions section "Payment Adjustments for Price Index Fluctuations" in those projects containing the section. The department posts the index on or about the first business day of the month using the daily Brent crude oil prices from the previous month as reported by Business Insider. Inquiries about the index should be directed to Caltrans at: Oil.Index@dot.ca.gov .
May 2026: $557.3 ($/ton)
Last month: $546.8
1 year ago: $358.6
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"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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We hope you enjoy CalAPA's Asphalt Insider newsletter, widely regarded as the most influential publication of its type in California. We are committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information on technical issues, regulation, news, analysis, people, events and trends in California that is of interest to the asphalt pavement industry and our various agency partners. To subscribe to the newsletter, click HERE. For comments, questions or to suggest a story idea, click HERE. We are committed to promptly notifying our readers of any errors in this publication. Please click on the comment link above to alert the editor of any errors or omissions.
Sincerely,
Russell W. Snyder, CAE
Executive Director
The California Asphalt Pavement Association (CalAPA)®
| | The "Asphalt Insider" is an official publication of the California Asphalt Pavement Association. For more information or to inquire about membership, call (916) 791-5044, or click HERE to contact us. Copyright © 2026 California Asphalt Pavement Association -- All Rights Reserved. The CalAPA name (No. 5,621,794) and logo (No. 5,621,795) are registered trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. | | | | |
