The Lafayette Aqueduct Pathway Project map, a planned car-free route for pedestrians and cyclists in Lafayette, Calif. The City of Lafayette announced on Friday, April 17, 2026, that the city has secured $3.7 million in State Transportation Improvement Program funds to help construct a segment of the Aqueduct Pathway. (City of Lafayette via Bay City News)

A key section of a walking and biking route through downtown Lafayette will be financed with $3.7 million in state transportation funds, the city said last week.

The Aqueduct Pathway is part of the city’s plan to create a car-free network linking neighborhoods, local businesses and regional transit. Construction is expected to start in 2029.

The funds will close a critical gap in the pathway between Dolores Drive and the Lafayette BART station, the city said.

The Aqueduct Pathway will run within the existing East Bay Municipal Utility District corridor through Lafayette parallel to Mt. Diablo Boulevard, BART and state Highway 24. 

The city is seeking federal funds to help build a segment east of Brown Avenue to Pleasant Hill Road. A segment between Risa Road and Dolores Drive opened in 2025.