Lafayette · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lafayette public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Driverless shuttle on Mt. Diablo Boulevard
Councilmember Wotherspoon floated adding an autonomous circulator shuttle to the city's transportation wish list — a driverless vehicle shuttling shoppers and visitors up and down Mt. Diablo so people stop circling parking lots. The council loved the idea, added it to the county project list as a placeholder, and wants to pitch Lafayette as a pilot site to vendors.
County transportation funding priorities: Aqueduct Pathway and Pleasant Hill Road
Lafayette is positioning two big projects — the regional Aqueduct Pathway for bikes and pedestrians, and a Pleasant Hill Road corridor study including the Highway 24 interchange — for possible named-project funding as the county writes its next transportation expenditure plan and eyes a 2028 ballot measure. Getting named now matters because Measure J spending is tightly tied to what voters approve.
Countywide evacuation study and Lamorinda smart signals
A training session walked the Council through disaster response, the Emergency Operations Center, emergency proclamations, and shrinking FEMA support — including a new ~$17 million federal funding threshold.
Moraga Way safety and connectivity study
Moraga is launching a federally funded planning study to make Moraga Way safer and better connected — no design or construction yet, but community meetings are coming and residents can sign up for updates.
Transit funding priority under SB 63
A County Connection transit worker asked the council to push CCTA to prioritize transit in its spending plan if SB 63 passes, so return-to-source funds keep buses running.
FY 2026/2027 Capital Improvement Program
Eleven more streets get paved or stabilized next year, plus traffic calming, sidewalk widening, a cemetery storm drain replacement, and aqueduct pathway design. The Commission endorsed the program's General Plan conformance; Council funds it in June.
Aqueduct Path EBMUD Roadblock
A major regional trail project hit a snag: EBMUD won't allow grading, bridges, or retaining walls on its right-of-way, so the Dolores-to-BART segment design is on hold. The Council was urged to intervene politically.
SB-1 Pavement Maintenance Funding
The Council locked in state gas tax money for next year's pavement project. Lafayette's pavement index sits at 75, near the top tier in Contra Costa County, with the 22-street program expected to lift it.
Lamorinda Spirit Van 20th anniversary and senior mobility
The senior shuttle program turns 20 in June, just won grants for two new vans, and remains a lifeline for residents who no longer drive. Council leaders say the program will need to expand as Lafayette ages.
Town Center Pathway and BART Station Improvement Project
Construction starts February 23 on a years-in-the-making project adding a bike station for 80 bicycles, a pedestrian plaza and an ADA-compliant path connecting the BART station to downtown — with some parking and access inconvenience in the months ahead.