Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Lafayette public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
16 issues in roads
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
The city landed $3.737 million in state funds (available FY 2029) to build the pathway segment connecting Dolores Drive to the BART station.
Downtown Employee Parking Plan and Lease Terminations
The city is ending decades-old private leases at two downtown city-owned lots to create paid all-day public parking for employees, pairing with BART's opening of its south lot. Long-time leaseholders worry about losing guaranteed spaces their tenants depend on, and a school buying nearby property wants a parking credit.
Mt. Diablo corridor multimodal planning and downtown transportation
The city settled its Housing Element lawsuit last month — it will consider rezoning downtown areas and the suit is dismissed. Lafayette must plan for 2,114 new units, mostly along Mt. Diablo Boulevard, plus a corridor mobility study and a 48-unit Sunflower Hill affordable project at 949 Moraga Road.
Transit funding priority under SB 63
The council decided not to chase MTC's voluntary TOC incentive program, which could have brought $1–2 million in extra transportation funding but required zoning changes for more office density and parking maximums, scoring only about 43 of the 85 points needed.
Countywide evacuation study and Lamorinda smart signals
Lafayette's top priority got a new focus: physically hardening evacuation routes with pre-staged traffic cones, vegetation clearing, and possible red-flag-day parking restrictions on narrow roads like Springhill and Bacon Way. Council members also worry Mount Diablo Boulevard could be overwhelmed in an evacuation and that the countywide evacuation study may lack enough local detail.
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.
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
A court case put Lafayette's use of waste-hauling franchise fees for road maintenance at risk — over $1 million a year. SB 922 would fix that, and the Council unanimously endorsed it.
Town Center Pathway and BART Station Improvement Project
Councilmembers Candell and Anduri pressed staff because the parking study didn't model what happens if BART's lots — already rezoned for 75 units/acre — are fully developed, potentially removing all commuter parking. Staff will do further analysis before talks with BART.
Multi-Modal Mobility Advisory Committee
A new time-limited committee will coordinate the overlapping downtown transportation studies — the Mt. Diablo corridor study, aqueduct pathway, BART access and more — over 18–24 months, with quarterly council updates and hybrid meetings planned.
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.
School Street and Topper Lane pathway project
Environmental review of cultural resources has pushed construction of the Connecting Lafayette pathway project to next year; utility relocations happen in 2026.
Lamorinda school bus program funding
The city will sponsor the program to access a $104,142 grant, keeping school buses running and trimming school-run traffic and emissions.
Construction traffic and road integrity on narrow Springhill Road
Residents worried heavy construction trucks will damage the narrow, partly private road between Goyak and the Girl Scout camp, which already has damage near 3577 Springhill and upcoming city repairs. The builder committed to documenting road conditions beforehand and repairing damage its trucks cause.