LAMORINDA, CA — An infrastructure blueprint that pushes millions of dollars into roads, bridges, trails, and safety upgrades is on the agenda for Lafayette.
Moving them forward means wrestling with rising costs, long environmental reviews, and limited reserves that will shape how quickly projects actually move from plans to construction.
But the push and pull is part of the Capital Improvement Program for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, along with a five-year roadmap stretching through 2031, outlining how Lafayette will spend transportation, utility, and development funds to maintain and modernize core infrastructure.
The City Council is set to vote on the plan Monday as part of its June budget adoption.
The city completed major upgrades in 2025, including repaving key stretches of St. Mary’s Road and Mt. Diablo Boulevard, where crews added curb ramps, bus stops, drainage improvements, guardrails, and high-friction safety surfacing.
Also completed is the new ADA-compliant pathway near Springhill Elementary School, replacing a worn dirt access route that had created safety and accessibility problems for students and drivers. At the Lafayette Police Department station, crews replaced a failing roof and upgraded HVAC systems ahead of the rainy season.
Lafayette officials will now turn to a packed construction pipeline. Engineers are advancing a major bridge maintenance program and seeking federal funding for high-cost repairs, while planning local investments in deck rehabilitation and structural work scheduled for 2028.
A citywide Smart Signals upgrade will modernize traffic systems with new controllers, detection technology, and backup power systems, coordinated through the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.
Roadwork dominates the upcoming cycle. The city plans one of its largest residential paving programs in more than a decade, shifting away from temporary surface seals and instead repaving more than 20 streets to extend roadway life and improve pavement ratings. Staff also plan new pedestrian crossings using rapid flashing beacons at key intersections to improve safety in high-traffic areas.
Construction has begun on a long-delayed BART pedestrian and bike station project, though officials expect delays due to complex coordination with regional agencies and utilities. Meanwhile, environmental clearance continues to slow other work, including the St. Mary’s Road stabilization project, which waited three years for federal review before nearing approval.
Several major projects are scheduled but pushed back. A School Street, Topper Lane, and St. Mary’s pathway project slipped to 2027 after Caltrans extended environmental review timelines tied to nearby sensitive areas. Other deferred efforts include creek restoration, bridge upgrades, and roadway stabilization work on hillside streets prone to movement.
Looking further ahead, Lafayette’s five-year plan prioritizes a transformative aqueduct pathway that would create a continuous pedestrian and bicycle route paralleling Highway 24, linking neighborhoods, downtown, BART, and regional trails. Officials also plan creek restoration along Lafayette Creek, traffic signal upgrades at high-conflict intersections, sidewalk expansions, and drainage improvements tied to stormwater management goals.
City officials have acknowledged funding pressures as they draw down reserve balances to complete near-term projects, noting that tighter budgets could force future tradeoffs between road maintenance, infrastructure repair, and new construction.
Council members will decide in June whether to adopt the full program and authorize environmental exemptions for eligible projects, setting the pace for Lafayette’s next phase of infrastructure investment.
Lafayette City Council Meeting, 6 p.m. on May 11
Lafayette Library & Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd. and online
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