Wildfire, E-Bikes, Taxes, And Housing Topped Lamorinda Annual Meeting Agenda

LAMORINDA, CA — While the Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda city councils are taking a brief summer break, elected officials from the three towns gathered Thursday at Saint Mary's College for the annual Lamorinda Tri-City Council meeting to tackle the region's biggest shared challenges.

The joint meeting brought together council members from Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda for updates on regional transportation, wildfire preparedness, state legislation, and federal funding opportunities.

Although no major policy votes were taken beyond approving the agenda, the discussion highlighted the issues likely to dominate Lamorinda's local agenda through the remainder of 2026.

Saint Mary's College President Roger Thompson opened the meeting by highlighting the college's growing role in the region. Thompson pointed to the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, the addition of men's and women's swimming and water polo this fall, enrollment growth following the pandemic, and preparations for the college's 100th anniversary in 2028.

He encouraged the three cities to work together on tourism, economic development, and regional partnerships that showcase Lamorinda to visiting students and families.

Transportation

Transportation quickly became the meeting's dominant topic.

BART Chief Financial Officer Joe Beauchamp warned that without voter approval of the regional transportation funding measure on the November ballot, BART would begin deep service reductions in January 2027, including fewer train lines, earlier nightly shutdowns, layoffs, fare increases, and eventually station closures if no long-term funding source is secured.

Beauchamp said BART continues to face an annual operating deficit of more than $400 million because weekday ridership remains well below pre-pandemic levels as remote work permanently altered commuting patterns. He said average weekday ridership has climbed to roughly 200,000 passengers from pandemic lows but remains about half the approximately 400,000 daily riders before COVID-19.

Several Lamorinda council members questioned BART's long-term financial model while emphasizing the importance of keeping Lafayette and Orinda stations open.

Moraga Mayor Steve Hillis argued that Moraga residents already face limited transit access because the town lacks a BART station and warned that eliminating BART's traditional feeder bus funding would further reduce mobility for Lamorinda commuters. Other council members urged BART to launch a stronger public information campaign highlighting improvements in safety, cleanliness, new fare gates, and reliability to encourage former riders to return.

Wildfire

Wildfire preparedness generated the strongest consensus of the evening.

Council members repeatedly described evacuation planning as Lamorinda's highest transportation priority, citing narrow roads, insurance availability, home-hardening requirements, and neighborhood evacuation challenges.

The legislative update from Townsend Public Affairs Vice President Casey Elliott highlighted several wildfire-related bills moving through Sacramento, including legislation allowing regional partnerships such as Lamorinda to compete directly for state wildfire prevention grants, proposals creating statewide home-hardening certification standards, insurance reforms for wildfire-prone communities, and legislation allowing local fire agencies to declare Red Flag school closure days without districts losing state attendance funding.

Elliott also updated council members on several transportation and safety measures advancing through the Legislature.

Taxes and E-bikes

Among them is Assembly Bill 2346, which would give local governments greater authority to regulate e-bike safety by allowing local speed limits, establishing lighting standards, and requiring manufacturers to provide additional safety disclosures. Elliott said the bill continues moving through the Legislature and is expected to reach Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after lawmakers adjourn at the end of August.

Another proposal would direct the California Highway Patrol and Department of Education to develop statewide e-bike safety curriculum and best practices for middle and high school students.

Federal transportation and infrastructure funding also received encouraging news.

Elliott said Congressman Mark DeSaulnier supported five Lamorinda-area projects during the federal appropriations process, and all survived House committee review despite funding reductions. Those projects include public safety radio upgrades, the North Orinda Shaded Fuel Break, Sunflower Hill, the Camino Pablo corridor, and the Aqueduct Trail project.

However, Elliott cautioned that local governments should not expect funding immediately.

"Now it's more of a waiting game," he said, explaining Congress likely will not complete appropriations bills until after the November election.

Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Tim Haile updated council members on several major regional transportation projects.

He announced the authority recently awarded the contract for the countywide emergency evacuation study, which will evaluate evacuation readiness, traffic modeling, and infrastructure improvements throughout Contra Costa County.

Haile also reported that construction on Lamorinda's Smart Signals project is expected to begin next spring. The approximately $5 million project will upgrade 56 traffic signals in Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda, allowing intersections to communicate with one another and adapt signal timing in real time to improve traffic flow and emergency response.

The authority also continues work on the Moraga Way Connectivity Study while beginning development of the transportation expenditure plan that will eventually replace Measure J, Contra Costa County's long-running half-cent transportation sales tax. Officials estimate the next plan could direct roughly $3 billion to $3.5 billion toward future transportation improvements countywide.

Housing and statewide ballot measures rounded out the legislative briefing.

Elliott said voters will consider an approximately $11 billion statewide housing bond that would fund veterans housing, affordable housing, multifamily developments, housing trusts, and first-time homebuyer programs. He said local governments may eventually be able to compete for new housing trust funding, although new programs likely would not distribute money until 2028.

He also outlined Proposition 3, which would extend California's tax on high-income earners, Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time tax on billionaires to support health and human services programs, and Proposition 43, which would reverse the California Supreme Court's Upland decision by restoring a two-thirds voter threshold for citizen-sponsored special taxes. Elliott said if Proposition 43 passes, it would remove one financing tool local governments currently have available for future tax measures while leaving existing taxes unchanged.

Although the meeting featured no controversial votes, it underscored a growing regional consensus that Lamorinda's three cities face many of the same challenges. Whether the issue is wildfire evacuation, public transit, housing, or transportation funding, council members repeatedly stressed that regional cooperation will be essential as they return from their summer schedules and resume regular council business later this month and in August.

The Orinda City Council is on its annual August recess and returns Aug. 18. Moraga's Town Council skips its July 22 meeting and resumes July 29, with another scheduled August break before returning Aug. 26. Lafayette continues meeting through the summer, with its next regular meetings scheduled July 27 and Aug. 10.