The APA of California Technical Committees have been participating in a general review of several of the Caltrans Test Methods that have been undergoing changes and revisions.  This joint effort between Caltrans and Industry has been a significant effort for many months and the individuals directly involved in the task groups who are doing the "real" work have devoted significant time and energy to the effort.  The first group of test methods that have been revised is due to be posted on the Caltrans website very soon.  We are told that the current target date is June 1, 2009.  While this will not complete the effort, it will be a large portion of the various test methods that play a significant role in the HMA mix design process.  You can find copies of the test methods, proposed final drafts and other information on the APA of California ftp site: ftp://HMA-ETG:kvRH95Tk@64.58.164.70.  On this site you will find individual folderes for each of the task groups, one for the general review documents and one for the final draft. 

 

Of particular note is the fact that Caltrans will begin expressing the oil content of a mix using percent by total weight of the mix as opposed to the percent by dry weight of aggregate.  For some, this change will be a simple arithmetic calculation, for others it may be more significant.  You should discuss this within your company to make sure that you are ready when the change occurs.

 

For additional information, or to participate in one of the task groups working on the individual test methods, please contact the Associations office.   

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2009 TCC Legislative Fly-In
Registration Now Open

Join your industry allies in Washington, D.C. on May 19th and 20th for the Transportation Construction Coalition’s 2009 Legislative Fly-in.  Never before has the transportation construction industry faced a more critical time! Congress needs to hear from you about the importance of transportation infrastructure investment to the nation’s economy and the quality of life of all Americans.

 

The new Congress and Administration have less than nine months to draft and approve legislation to reauthorize critical highway, bridge, transit and aviation construction programs.  One of the key issues to be addressed concerns how to fund highway and transit infrastructure improvements for the long term.  With the Highway Trust Fund’s balance essentially at zero, new revenue will be needed to provide the investment necessary to address current and future demands.  The federal aviation programs also remain in limbo with new authorization months overdue.

 

The recently enacted economic stimulus legislation provides funds to keep state transportation programs moving forward and help boost our economy at this critical juncture. The responsibility for continuing the job retention/creation and other economic benefits of the stimulus measure’s transportation investments will fall to the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.  This debate will be about more than economic recovery — it will also determine the future of the federal highway and transit programs.

 

The transportation construction industry cannot afford to sit back and wait for Washington to act.  Now is the time to demand action from your Senators and Representatives about transportation needs in your state and the nation.

Join hundreds of other industry leaders in delivering the message — "Transportation Builds Our Economy" — to Capitol Hill on May 19th and 20th in Washington, D.C.

Register online at http://www.BlueSkyz.com/tcc2009.

A registration form may be downloaded at http://fs1.hotmix.org/jay/dcfly.pdf.

Tuesday May 19
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Registration
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM | NAPA Meeting
2:30 PM to 5:30 PM | Legislative Briefing
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM | Capitol Hill Reception

Wednesday May 20
7:00 AM to 8:00 AM | Continental Breakfast
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM | Meetings with Members of Congress

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                               May 19th Propositions to Appear on Ballot

 

Last week we briefly commented on Proposition 1A that will appear on the May 19th Ballott.  This week we would like to briefly comment on Proposition 1B.  Proposition 1B would mandate supplemental payments of $9.3 billion to schools and community colleges. This figure is the difference between the amount actually appropriated in recent budgets, and the amount that, under some interpretations of California Proposition 98 (1998), should have been spent. If approved by a popular vote majority, the measure will only be enacted if California Proposition 1A (May 2009) also wins. That proposal would allow an extension of tax increases imposed as part of the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 budget agreement, resulting in an additional tax increase of some $16 billion.

 

For a complete copy of the 1B legislation, you can go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/acax3_2_bill_20090219_chaptered.html

 

Other Ballot Measures that will appear on the May 19th Ballot:

 

Proposition	Description
Proposition 1A	Prop 1A combines a 4-year tax hike of about $16 billion with a state spending cap
Proposition 1B	Modification of California Proposition 98 (1998) to free up money for state's budget overruns.
Proposition 1C	Sell rights to future lottery proceeds as a way of raising some cash now for state budget.
Proposition 1D	Asks voters to approve taking money from Prop 10 in 1998 for purposes not allowed in that 1998 vote.
Proposition 1E	Asks voters to take money from Prop 63 for purposes not allowed in that 2004 vote.
Proposition 1F	No pay raises for state legislators in years when there is a state budget deficit

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