Investing in California’s Transportation Future: Public Opinion on Critical Needs

In 2017, the State of California adopted landmark legislation to increase the funds available for transportation in the state: Senate Bill 1 (SB1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. Through a combination of higher gas and diesel motor fuel taxes, SB1 raises revenue for four critical transportation needs in the state: road maintenance and rehabilitation, relief from congestion, improvements to trade corridors, and improving transit and rail services. To help state leaders identify the most important projects and programs to fund within those four topical areas, we conducted an online survey that asked a sample of 3,574 adult Californians their thoughts on how the state can achieve the SB1 objectives. The survey was administered from April to August 2019 with a survey platform and panel of respondents managed by Qualtrics. Quota sampling ensured that the final sample closely reflects California adults in terms of key socio-demographic characteristics and geographic distribution. Key findings included very strong support for improving all transportation modes, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, and more convenient options to travel without driving. Respondents placed particular value on better maintenance for both local streets and roads, as well as highways. Finally, the majority of respondents assessed all types of transportation infrastructure in their communities as somewhat or very good.

Manual for Thin Asphalt Overlays

This manual presents best practices on project selection, mix design, and construction to ensure a superior product when constructing thin asphalt overlays. Experience shows these treatments provide excellent performance when placed on pavements in fair to good condition using proper construction techniques. Though sometime referred to by other names, thin asphalt overlays have been widely used for pavement preservation throughout the world for over 50 years. Limited infrastructure funding at the local, state, and federal levels has resulted in greater emphasis on the use of pavement preservation techniques to extend pavement life and reduce maintenance costs. Thin asphalt overlays are one of many preventative maintenance treatments. Thin asphalt overlays are placed directly on existing pavement and can range from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches in thickness. Thin asphalt overlays have proven to be an economical means for maintaining and improving the functional condition of an existing pavement since the 1960s. Specifically, this manual provides guidance for engineers regarding where and when to use thin asphalt overlays including: (1) Types and variations of thin overlays; (2) Materials and the design process; (3) Construction; (4) Quality Assurance; and (5) Troubleshooting. This chapter by chapter guidance enables an Agency’s engineers to design and construct a successful thin asphalt overlay project to completion. This manual is one of four new manuals prepared by the California Pavement Preservation Center (CP2Center) using funding from California Senate Bill 1 (SB-1), passed in April 2017. The other three manuals provide detailed design and construction information for (1) chip seals, (2) slurry surfacing, and (3) Cape seals. The creation of these manuals was a task funded entirely from SB-1 monies for the purpose of disseminating training and technical information on highway pavement preservation to local agencies throughout California.