Transportation Project Grant Priorities

This study would update and re-evaluate the feasibility and design options for the construction of an ADA-compliant low-stress pedestrian and bicycle pathway through Downtown Lafayette.  Funding would be required to update the project’s 2012 Technical Feasibility and Concept Design study and to complete constructible context-sensitive design options for each segment of the pathway that reflect existing conditions and is aligned with existing and future land uses in the city's Downtown.  This update would be developed through a robust public engagement process that would include relevant partner agencies (BART, EBMUD, Caltrans) and community stakeholders. 

An updated plan could consider the design of the pathway along the Aqueduct right-of-way to Pleasant Hill Road, and beyond, to connect with Acalanes High School and a future Pleasant Hill Road Pathway.

Ultimately, the project would result in the construction of a safe and fully accessible active transportation pathway designed for all-ages-and-abilities that identifies connection opportunities to adjacent commercial areas, existing and future housing sites, the Lafayette BART station, and the expanding citywide and regional low-stress active transportation network.  Depending on the size and scale of the grant program that might be used to fund this project, construction funding may also be included in a grant request, though construction costs could not be accurately estimated without further planning and design work.

• Phase: Planning and Design
• Cost Estimate:$600,000 - $750,000
• Timeline: Immediate

Master Plans for the pedestrian and bicycle networks are intended to articulate a shared vision for how people walk and bike around the City, the City’s design standards and priorities.  They also include a comprehensive framework for implementation. 

The City’s existing Walkways and Bicycle Master Plans includes lists of potential and prioritized bicycle and pedestrian projects that the City would consider over time.  Neither plan has been updated in quite a while and may not reflect current priorities, design standards, an understanding of the gaps in and an articulation of the desired build-out of the bicycle and pedestrian networks, and the recent updates to the City’s General Plan.   In addition, the plans generally do not consider levels of technical feasibility and complexity for each proposed project and, thus, may not reflect realistic expectations around the City’s ability to construct unbuilt segments of infrastructure.  Finally, preparation of updated Master Plans can help make the individual projects that are identified in the Plans more competitive for future grant funding opportunities.

At present, for expediency, it is expected that updates to the Master Plans may take place as part of the General Plan Update process for the Circulation Element.  While that process is expected to result in updates to the Plans’ priorities and proposed networks, it is unlikely to result in a standalone comprehensive document that includes the subject matter that is typically routine for a Master Plan.

• Phase: Planning
• Cost Estimate:$100,000 - $125,000
• Timeline: Immediate

This effort would result in the signalization of the Deer Hill and Oak Hill Road intersection.  This is a multi-laned intersection adjacent to the BART station and that sits on both the city’s bicycle network and the High Injury Network as identified in the 2023 Lafayette Local Road Safety Plan. 

In addition to helping facilitate vehicle throughput and traffic flow, signalization may reduce right-of-way confusion and make the crossings more comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists.

This is a project that has been considered before – it was recommended in the Circulation Element of the current General Plan, a signal warrant analysis was conducted in 2010, and the project was identified in the Downtown Congestion Reduction Plan.

The project would be expensive, however, and it is unclear whether any grant programs would fund this project, particularly given that there haven’t been any recent fatal or serious injury crashes at this location.  If and when the BART parking lots are redeveloped by BART in the future, this could be a candidate for off-site improvements as part of that work. 

As of January 2024, it would be helpful for staff to initiate signal design in order to be better positioned when the appropriate funding opportunity for the project advances.

• Phase: Design and Construction
• Cost Estimate:$1,100,000 - $1,400,000
• Timeline: Immediate

This project would result in right-turn on red restrictions at key intersections, to be determined, along Mt. Diablo Boulevard in downtown Lafayette to enhance safety and comfort for pedestrians by reducing conflicts between drivers and pedestrians.  Restrictions would be facilitated with the use of an LED sign to reinforce the restriction, similar to the electronic signs at the Moraga Road / Brook Street intersection that restrict vehicle movement when the pedestrian crossing is activated. 

The project is supported by the Local Road Safety Plan and public input from the 2022 online survey that was conducted for the LRSP.  As part of this survey, respondents and participants were asked to identify locations within Lafayette where people feel safe or unsafe and to offer ideas about how road safety may be improved.  Respondents identified the intersection of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Moraga Road more than any other location, and the challenges of crossing Mt. Diablo Boulevard, particularly on the east leg of that intersection, were documented through this process.  Input from residents have also identified the Mt. Diablo Boulevard intersections with Oak Hill Road and First Street as presenting safety and comfort challenges for pedestrians. 

The next step in elevating the protection of pedestrians at these downtown intersections includes the restriction of right-turns on red for drivers when the pedestrian crossing is activated. 

As of January 2024, Staff is proposing to initiate a traffic study so that the potential impacts of this proposed project can be understood and communicated. This project could then be discussed in greater detail as part of the upcoming Mt. Diablo Corridor Plan project.

• Phase: Planning, Design and Construction
• Cost Estimate:$80,000 - $100,000
• Timeline: Immediate

As part of the Connecting Lafayette: Downtown Pathways and Schools Safety Project, funding has been allocated towards the planning and design of a formal drop-off / pick-up location on St. Mary’s Road to serve Stanley Middle School and for an expansion of the pathway along the north side of St. Mary’s Road between Acampo Drive and Topper Lane.  This design work is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 along with the design of the proposed pathways on School Street and Topper Lane.  To date, construction funding for this project has not been identified.

• Phase: Construction
• Cost Estimate:TBD, dependent on result of planning and design phases
• Timeline: Late 2024, after the project’s design and cost estimate are determined

The Connecting Lafayette Project enhances safety with a dedicated path connecting downtown, Lafayette Elementary, Stanley Middle School, and the Lafayette-Moraga Pathway. It also intends to ease neighborhood congestion by introducing an alternative drop-off area for Stanley Middle School and an expansion of the sidewalk on St. Mary’s Road.

• Grant: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Community Project Funding / Congressionally Directed Spending)
  • Total $: $3,100,000
  • Phase(s): Design and Construction
• Grant: One Bay Area Grant (OBAG-3): $750,000 (Design and Construction)
  • Total $750,000
  • Phase(s): Design and Construction

The Pleasant Hill Pathway would provide a separated and protected route for pedestrians and cyclists through the SR-24 interchange along Pleasant Hill Road between Mt. Diablo Blvd and Stanley Boulevard/Deer Hill Road.    

• Grant: California Department of Parks and Recreation General Fund Grant
  • Total: $238,000
  • Phase(s): Design

Design and construction of a paved, ADA-compliant walkway between the Pleasant Hill Road / Springhill Road intersection and the Lafayette Ridge Staging Area parking lot to fill a gap in the City’s pedestrian network and to provide a walkway for pedestrians that provides direct access to Springhill Elementary School.

• Grant: Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article-3 (FY 2023/24)
  • Total: $100,000
  • Phase(s): Design and Construction

Create safer and more convenient non-motorized travel between the Lafayette BART station and downtown Lafayette through the design and construction of a shared-use bicycle and pedestrian pathway segment connecting the BART station with an existing pathway, a new public plaza/community gathering space featuring an overhead public art installation, and a new Bike Station at the station’s south entrance.

• Grants: Measure J, Measure J BART Program 10, BART Measure RR
  • Total: $3,155,000
  • Phases: Design and Construction

Identify parking management strategies that seek an efficient balance between future parking demand, new housing, and increased multi-modal travel throughout Downtown Lafayette.

• Grant: Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Local Parking Management Program Planning Grant
  • Total: $170,000
  • Phase(s): Planning

Construction of a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) crossing at an existing marked crosswalk across Mt. Diablo Boulevard at Hampton Road to improve pedestrian safety.  The project includes associated upgrades to meet ADA compliance.

• Grant: Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article-3 (FY 2024/25)
  • Total: $50,000
  • Phase(s): Design and Construction