Safer Path for School St. & Topper Lane
The City of Lafayette is planning to improve the safety of School St. & Topper Lane by creating a wider, protected path for bicyclists and pedestrians. We need your help in supporting this project so children and people of all ages can safely and easily get to school and, in the future, downtown Lafayette.
What is this project?
The Connecting Lafayette project enhances safety with a dedicated path connecting downtown, Lafayette Elementary, Stanley Middle School, and the Lafayette-Moraga Pathway. It also eases neighborhood congestion by introducing an alternative drop-off area on St. Mary’s Road for Stanley Middle School.
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After the death of Ashley Diaz, a crossing guard who was protecting children crossing the crosswalk at Stanley Middle, an incredible group of parents and citizens advocated for Safe Routes to School. Their great work laid foundation for this project.
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Planning and Design phase takes into account feedback from the community to design a safe path for everyone. This phase should complete in early 2026.
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As proposes, the construction will begin in April with reduced working hours to prevent interruptions to Stanley & Lafayette Elementary School. The project was to be completed before the beginning of the 2026/2027 school year, however it has been delayed to begin in 2027.
Next Steps
While the build out of the Topper Lane + School Street project commences, we should be immediately thinking about how to take it one step further: connecting it seamlessly to downtown.
Ideas include:
Continuing the bike route down Moraga Road to connect with Mt. Diablo Boulevard.
Creating a cut-through via Brook Street, allowing riders to access downtown through Hough or Dewing
Explore an idea we haven’t considered yet, and where we need your input
Please send us your thoughts at info@vibrantlafayette.org
Join the movement
Let’s make sure we keep the beauty of Lafayette while making it dynamic, safe, and enjoyable for everyone.