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Council pushes multimodal design work for Mount Diablo corridor; city weighs website upgrade and outreach
Summary
Councilmembers pressed staff to plan a multimodal redesign of Mount Diablo Boulevard and to integrate parking and mobility studies into upcoming development decisions. Staff also outlined website upgrade options and recommended a phased digital engagement strategy.
Lafayette councilmembers used a March 7 workshop to press staff on planning for the Mount Diablo corridor and downtown, and to discuss digital engagement and a potential website redesign.
Councilmembers said they want a multimodal corridor plan that prioritizes pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections so future downtown and corridor housing can be less car‑dependent. Staff recommended beginning a multimodality study in early 2026 and to align that work with upcoming major project reviews (for example, the De Silva property and other corridor sites). Council asked staff to prepare a scope that will look at safe routes to downtown, parking demand, and how new housing developments would affect curb space and on‑street parking.
On digital outreach, staff described the city’s current communications mix (weekly roundup email to ~10,000 subscribers, Facebook and Instagram pages, YouTube for meetings, Nextdoor posts and the MyLafayette app). Suzanne, a staff member leading communications, told the council the current website costs about $10,000 per year for hosting and maintenance; a proposed redesigned platform with expanded search, online forms and integrated payments could cost roughly $27,000 per year based on initial proposals.
Councilmembers suggested the city consider a phased approach: (1) stabilize and index existing content and analytics; (2) do a coordinated brand/graphic identity update; then (3) build a new site with improved forms and search. Several councilmembers offered to help refine requirements and review vendor proposals.
Council asked staff to: prepare a scope and cost estimate for a multimodal corridor study (beginning in 2026 if no additional staff is added); include parking analysis and short‑term active‑transportation improvements in the consultant scope; and provide options for a website redesign that include phased costs and potential savings from form automation.
No formal votes were taken on contracting; council support was directional and staff will return with scopes and cost estimates.
