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Lafayette planning commission endorses FY27 capital-improvement program, highlights bridges, signals and pathways
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Summary
City staff presented a FY27 Capital Improvement Program that lists 27 proposed projects, including bridge repairs, a regional aqueduct pathway, smart traffic-signal upgrades and a 26-street paving package; the commission found the CIP in conformance with Lafayette’s general plan and will forward it to council for funding consideration.
LAFAYETTE — City staff on April 20 asked the Lafayette Planning Commission to find the proposed fiscal year 2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in conformance with the general plan, outlining completed work from the past year and a slate of proposed projects the city plans to request funding for at City Council in May.
Mike Moran of the city’s Engineering and Public Works department presented the CIP and described a mix of completed, ongoing and proposed projects. “The proposed projects I’m presenting tonight have been vetted through our capital projects assessment committee,” Moran said. He told commissioners the package includes 27 projects for the coming year that align with the general plan and that staff will ask the City Council to request funding for adoption with the June budget.
Among the items Moran highlighted were last year’s major paving on Saint Mary’s Road and Mount Diablo Boulevard; ongoing bridge maintenance designs (including work at El Cortola Boulevard); and a multi-jurisdiction smart‑signals project intended to add interconnection, adaptive timing and battery backups at signalized intersections. “We will have backup batteries at most of our signals,” Moran said, explaining the resilience benefits during power outages.
Staff also described active efforts on multi-modal pathways: a grant-supported pathway near Spring Hill School, a BART bike‑station and pathway that has broken ground, and a multi‑agency aqueduct pathway project that could eventually link Lafayette Reservoir to regional trails. Moran cautioned that some elements — notably a segment of the aqueduct pathway from Dolores to the BART station — would not receive construction funding until later in the decade and will require coordination with Caltrans and East Bay MUD.
On pavement work, staff has a 26‑street paving project out to bid (including 22 residential streets) and a separate list of 11 streets proposed for the following year. Moran warned that asphalt pricing and oil‑linked costs could affect bids. He also noted a localized repair need: “We have a storm drain that’s failing through Lafayette Cemetery and we need to remove and replace a section,” he said.
Commissioners asked for more visual materials and for staff to publish a color-coded map of proposed streets; Moran said he would try to post the map on the city website before the City Council hearing. Commissioners also pressed staff on the city’s pavement-condition goals; Moran said the target is to hold the pavement condition index in the mid‑seventies and that the forthcoming paving work should help.
The commission voted to find the CIP in conformance with Lafayette’s general plan; staff will forward the program and funding request to the City Council in May.
