March 2026 Local Agency Asphalt Brief

Welcome to the first edition of the CAPA Local Agency Asphalt Brief. This monthly newsletter is designed specifically for Colorado cities, towns, and counties responsible for planning, funding, and delivering street and road programs. Each edition shares practical insights, specification updates, funding considerations, and lessons learned from peer agencies across the state.

Panel Presentations from the Annual Conference

Thank you to those who attended the panel presentations at the 53rd Annual Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference & Equipment Show titled Successful Delivery of Asphalt Pavement Improvement Programs & Projects. I had the opportunity to moderate these sessions, and the discussion was practical, candid, and highly relevant for agencies navigating funding pressures, growth, and increasing public expectations.

City Panel
Brandon Brever, CAPA; Jason Rowe, Castle Pines; Ben Reiter, Loveland; Tom Knostman, Fort Collins

County Panel
Dan Roberts, Douglas County; Laura Page, Mesa County; Todd Juergens, Larimer County

Key themes from the discussion

Defining success. Panelists emphasized that a successful pavement program goes beyond condition scores. Success also includes public trust, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and disciplined long-term asset management.

Data-driven decision making. Agencies consistently emphasized the value of formal pavement management systems to establish condition targets, develop multi-year budget projections, prioritize treatments based on lifecycle optimization, and communicate funding needs using defensible data.

Preservation philosophy. A consistent message across agencies was the discipline of keeping good roads good. Applying the right treatment at the right time extends pavement life and helps avoid costly reconstruction.

Urban versus rural dynamics. Strategies that work in dense commercial corridors may not be appropriate for lower-volume rural roads. Treatment selection, phasing, and outreach need to reflect those differences.

Emerging tools and technology. Agencies continue to evaluate tools that improve decision-making, communication, and project delivery while working within real staffing and budget constraints.

2026 Pavement Condition, Funding, and Performance Report

CAPA recently published the latest report summarizing pavement condition, funding trends, and the performance of Colorado local agencies. This information can help agencies benchmark their own programs, communicate needs internally, and support long-term planning discussions.

The report is intended to be practical and usable for agencies evaluating current network conditions, preservation strategy, and long-range funding needs.

Asphalt Lunch and Learns

CAPA offers asphalt-focused Lunch and Learn sessions for local agencies, consultants, and public works staff. These can be tailored to topics such as pavement design, warm mix asphalt, preservation strategies, balanced mix design, and general asphalt fundamentals.

If your team would benefit from a session, reach out and we can discuss a format and topic lineup that fits your needs.

Local Agency Membership in CAPA

CAPA local agency membership is intended to give cities, towns, and counties direct access to technical resources, training opportunities, and a stronger connection to asphalt pavement developments across Colorado.

Membership can support staff development, improve awareness of specification and material developments, and provide another technical resource as agencies plan and deliver pavement programs.

Contact

Brandon Brever, P.E.
Director of Engineering & Technology
Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association

[email protected]

Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association | Local Agency Resource Hub