Lafayette has landed $3.7 million in new state funding to help build a major new segment of the long-planned Aqueduct Pathway — a fully separated walking and biking trail designed to give residents a safer, car-free way to get through downtown and reach BART.
The city said the new money will help fund the section between Dolores Drive and the Lafayette BART station, closing what officials describe as a key gap in the local active transportation network.
The funding comes through California’s 2026 State Transportation Improvement Program, which the California Transportation Commission adopted in March. In the commission’s adopted program, the “Downtown Lafayette Aqueduct Pathway” appears as a new Lafayette active transportation project with $3.737 million programmed in the 2029-30 fiscal year. (California Transportation Commission)
The Aqueduct Pathway is planned within the existing East Bay Municipal Utility District corridor that runs through Lafayette roughly parallel to Mt. Diablo Boulevard, BART, and Highway 24. When fully built, the city says it is intended to create a continuous multi-use route linking neighborhoods, downtown Lafayette, and regional transit without forcing people onto some of the area’s busiest roads.
For Lafayette residents, the Dolores Drive-to-BART segment could be especially significant. City officials say that stretch would make it easier and safer to get to BART, local businesses, schools, and other everyday destinations on foot or by bike, while supporting first- and last-mile access as more housing is added downtown. Construction on that segment is currently anticipated to begin in 2029.
If you want more important Lafayette and Lamorinda development news like this, join the free 925 News newsletter for local updates that actually matter to where you live and commute: https://bay-area-telegraph.ck.page/317a2ba0d5
This is not the first piece of the larger pathway to move forward. A western segment between Risa Road and Dolores Drive opened in 2025 and is already in use, according to the city. Lafayette also says design work is underway for the next phase extending east toward Pleasant Hill Road, backed in part by a previously secured $300,000 Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant for design assistance.
The city has made clear that the Aqueduct Pathway is part of a broader effort to reshape access around downtown and the BART station. Lafayette’s separate BART Bike Station/Pathway Project is already under construction, with the city saying work started in March 2026 and is expected to wrap up by the end of summer.
That project includes an ADA-compliant pathway segment, a new public plaza, and a secure bike station with room for up to 82 bicycles. City documents say that project was specifically designed to align with the future Aqueduct Pathway connection.
There is also a possible next funding step already in play. Lafayette says it is seeking federal money for the segment east of Brown Avenue to Pleasant Hill Road, and Congressman Mark DeSaulnier announced on April 1 that he advanced more than $46.7 million in local projects for FY2027 appropriations consideration, including Lafayette’s Downtown Aqueduct Pathway Project.
His office published a statement from Lafayette Mayor Carl Anduri praising the request and calling the pathway a “safe, continuous, and car-free route” between neighborhoods, downtown, and regional transit. That does not mean the federal money is secured yet — only that it has been advanced for committee consideration. (Congressman Mark Desaulnier)
Lafayette Transportation Program Manager Patrick Golier said the pathway will provide a safer alternative to roads like Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Deer Hill Road by creating a route separated from vehicle traffic. In the long run, the city’s vision is to extend the trail east to connect with the regional trail network toward Walnut Creek and also improve links to the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.
The bigger picture here is that Lafayette is trying to stitch together a more complete low-stress network for walking and biking at the same time downtown growth continues. If the remaining segments can be funded and built, the Aqueduct Pathway could become one of the most useful everyday mobility projects in town — not just a recreational trail, but a real alternative for getting to BART and downtown without driving.
For more Lafayette and East Bay transportation updates, development news, and local openings, join the free 925 News newsletter here: https://bay-area-telegraph.ck.page/317a2ba0d5
