Welcome to 2023! I cannot think of a better way to kick off the New Year than with a brand-new issue of On the Road, the official publication of the Utah Asphalt Pavement Association (UAPA). Within the pages of this issue, you will find quick glances back to the Fall of 2022 (the craziest fall lineup of events and training that UAPA has ever undertaken to date!), coupled with some interesting articles delving into what the future holds for our industry.
2022 was a banner year for the association in many regards. Beyond the regular scope of training and educational events, the association also undertook several significant changes to specifications and regulations in partnership with various agencies, from the Utah Chapter of the American Public Works Association (Utah APWA) to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). These changes will bear fruit for our shared industry in 2023 and beyond, and I am excited to have a full construction season ahead to see these changes take full root. However, beyond specifications, 2022 also saw UAPA take on and work through significant proposed changes with the Utah Department of Air Quality (UDAQ) and the Utah Public Service Commission. As a collective, UAPA and its members represented the industry well in both instances. I am beyond humbled that the association is now, after ten years of a lot of hard work, able to stand in these positions and give voice to our specific industry with outside partners. This work comes at a cost of both time and resources, financially and otherwise, from the association and its members, but it is clear to see that this is where UAPA now belongs.
Looking back, I know how we got here, but continually looking back is never a strategy for success, so let us also look forward. Right here in Utah, we have ASPIRE. My bet is that most of us have never heard of this organization – UAPA hopes to change that in the New Year. Indeed, 2023 is the year we need to start bringing answers to the table around some big questions. Questions such as, what does the electrification of our infrastructure in Utah look like? How does asphalt fit into that picture as the material of choice when we task our roads with charging cars as they drive? What does the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) in general do (or, more importantly, currently not do) for our funding mechanisms and structures? How can we move towards greater sustainability through principles of balanced mix design, greater use of warm mix asphalt (WMA), and other readily available advancements and technologies? Most important of all, how do we address the elephant in the room when it comes to suicide and our industry? Frankly speaking, I do not have all the answers, but I am ready to talk about all of this – and not only talk about this but do what UAPA has always done, lead on these issues, and many others.
I am hopeful this issue of On the Road will provide you with both some answers and questions. Looking back on the Fall of 2022, we really did a lot. In 2023, there is all this and A LOT more to come for UAPA. Big changes and small. Until then, be good, work hard, and best wishes for 2023!
