Lafayette to get local smart‑signal upgrades; countywide project adds battery backup and centralized monitoring
Loading...
Summary
Contra Costa Transportation Authority told Lafayette commissioners on Feb. 2 that a locally funded La Mirinda signal modernization will upgrade roughly 30 intersections inside Lafayette, while a separate countywide program will add 29 battery backups in Lafayette and a countywide monitoring platform funded largely by OBAG, SB1, Measure J and local matches.
The Lafayette Transportation & Circulation Commission heard a presentation Feb. 2 from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) on two linked smart‑signal efforts: a La Mirinda earmark project that will upgrade local hardware in Lafayette and a larger countywide program to add battery backup, transit priority and a center‑to‑center traffic management system.
CCTA presenters said the La Mirinda project will upgrade aging controllers and cabinets, replace loop detectors with video detection, and deploy a cloud‑based advanced traffic management software to let staff monitor and manage intersections remotely. "It'll also be playing something called the advanced traffic management system. It'll allow staff to remotely access these these, intersections and manage them dynamically," one presenter said during the briefing.
Why it matters: presenters told the commission the projects aim to reduce idling, improve signal coordination and improve safety by giving staff real‑time analytics on volumes, speeds and near‑misses. CCTA said the La Mirinda regional project will upgrade 56 signalized intersections across the La Mirinda region, 30 of which are inside the City of Lafayette, with primary focus along Mount Diablo Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road. A countywide project will cover roughly 365 intersections across the county and is intended to "fill in the holes" left by local earmarks.
What will be installed: CCTA listed four core elements for Lafayette's La Mirinda work—new cabinets and controllers, video detection to replace loops, upgraded communications (Ethernet/cellular) and a cloud‑based ATMS. The countywide project will add battery backup systems, emergency vehicle preemption upgrades and some transit signal priority at selected intersections. "It's a $30,900,000 project," a CCTA engineer said of the countywide effort.
Battery backup specifics: presenters said Lafayette will receive 29 battery backup systems as part of the countywide package, with battery runtimes of about 11–12 hours, intended to keep signals running during PSPS events, outages or other emergencies.
Funding and schedule: staff said the La Mirinda project is funded by a federal earmark and local match; presenters specifically referenced a federal earmark secured with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier and cited $4,185,000 as an earmark amount discussed during the meeting. The countywide work is financed in part by One Bay Area Grant funding (OBAG/OBAG3 in the presentation), Senate Bill 1, Measure J and additional local matches. CCTA told the commission the local design work aims to be complete by the end of February 2026, construction bidding would occur in April 2026, contract award in June 2026 and construction July–December 2026.
Operations and oversight: presenters emphasized local control will remain with the City of Lafayette while CCTA will host a center‑to‑center ATMS for countywide monitoring and coordination. CCTA described the platform as a monitoring and support resource that could provide operational assistance and regional coordination in the future, but said it will not take day‑to‑day operational control of local signals.
Privacy and data: commissioners asked whether video detection results in recorded video and how data are stored. Presenters said modern cloud systems can record feeds and retain video depending on manufacturer options and retention policies; the primary function of video detection is to feed the controller with presence and analytics, but cloud storage and recording capabilities exist and vary by vendor.
Local impacts and maintenance: CCTA and city staff said the cloud‑based system will allow maintenance contractors such as DC Electric (currently used by Lafayette) to access alerts and data remotely and in some cases make remote adjustments rather than dispatching a truck to the cabinet. Staff said the new analytics may allow faster tuning of leading pedestrian intervals, all‑red timings and other safety features.
Next steps: the commission was asked to receive and file the presentation and schedule; no formal action altering the project schedule or funding was taken at the meeting. The work will proceed through design and the planned bid/award timeline in spring and summer 2026.
