Village Streets
The Government of Guam Department of Public Works (DPW) has prepared the Guam Village Streets Master Plan (VSMP), which presents a systematic approach for improving village streets throughout the island of Guam. Expanding on the work performed in the 2030 Guam Transportation Plan (GTP), the VSMP focuses on road improvements to arterials, collectors, and local roads that connect to the main federal aid roadway system. This report documents the village street roadway network, the methodology of defining roadway deficiencies, the criteria used to evaluate needed roadway improvements, the probable costs of improvements, and available funding. It presents a process for prioritizing projects and ensuring that the available funding is used most effectively. Ultimately, the VSMP provides a sound strategy to support ongoing investment in the village streets.
Village streets needs were identified in the GTP 2030 process, from legislation and through meetings with village mayors. The VSMP team met with each mayor or mayor’s delegated staff in February and March 2009 and toured the villages performing a “windshield survey,” that is, a drive-through review of the village streets. Additional deficiencies were obtained by letters and emails to the team, usually sent to DPW and forwarded for inclusion in the VSMP. The team conducted onsite reviews at approximately 400 locations using a checklist and an evaluation guideline developed specifically for the VSMP. Public meetings and additional meetings with the mayors were held to review the Master Plan process and results. Comments from these meetings have been incorporated.
Eleven work types were used when describing an improvement at a specific location. Work types were assigned to specific locations that were determined by the site evaluations and mayor requests. The 11 work types are:
- Traffic safety
- Signage
- Bus stops
- Drainage
- Paving
- Utilities
- Pavement Repair
- Guardrail
- Street extension/widening
- Structures and other
- Lighting
A prioritized list of projects was developed for each village using the evaluation and scoring criteria shown in Table S-1. For each project, the sum of each criterion times its importance factor yields a prioritized score. Projects with the highest total scores are the highest priority projects and will likely be completed first when funding is available.
Table S-1. Project Evaluation Criteria
Importance Factors | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
PRIORITY | CRITERIA | HIGHEST IMPORTANCE (x3) | MEDIUM IMPORTANCE (x2) | IMPORTANT (x1) | NOT APPLICABLE (x0) |
5 | Public Health & Safety | Alleviates existing hazards | Alleviates potential hazards | Maintains health and/or safety | Benefits not identified |
5 | Law and Court Mandates | In Budget Act for 2006 | In written agreement with federal agency | In written agreement with local agency | Not in written agreements |
4 | Population Served | Arterial | Collector or connects land grant area | Local road | Functions as private road |
3 | Traffic Congestion | Improves severe congestion | Improves expected future congestion | Improves expected future moderate congestion | No congestion expected |
2 | Preservation of existing infrastructure | Saves structural integrity of existing or repairs significant deterioration | Repairs systems important to operation | Improves appearance or defers future expenditure | No infrastructure investment yet made |
1 | Cost | Under $50,000 | $50,000 to $300,000 | $300,000 to $1M | Over $1M |
-50 | Right-of-way | Requires significant new right-of-way | May require new right-of-way | Requires temporary construction easements | All right-of-way is available now |
Costs were estimated based on detailed planning level cost estimates prepared for sample projects and extrapolating those costs, by work type, to the identified projects using street length as the only measured parameter. Projects that were candidates for funding under other programs were removed from consideration. The total cost of the Village Streets Master Plan was estimated at $746 million.
The VSMP will be funded through the Guam Liquid Fuel Tax revenue, federal government grants, government-sponsored loans and bonds. Beginning in 2012, the portion of Guam Liquid Fuel Tax revenue allocated for village street improvements (approximately $2 million per year) will again become available, and likely will be leveraged to obtain additional funding from federal sources. Funding will be allocated to projects in proportion to the need in each village.