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The Official Website of the State of West Virginia

Want to improve transportation in West Virginia? Responding to the 2020 Census helps.

3/12/2020

5F_F0_6852694_2841238595_4.jpgWhether you’re a frequent flyer, carpool commuter or take a local bus, you depend on public infrastructure to get around. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city or small town—you access the world around you by roads, bridges, railways, and other forms of transportation infrastructure.

Public infrastructure is a vital part of everyday life. However, we often forget it’s there unless we hit a pothole or our bus service gets cancelled. But those roads don’t fix themselves. It takes a lot of money to build and maintain infrastructure. Data collected during the 2020 Census informs the federal government on how it should make funding decisions for highways, bridges, railways, airports and other infrastructure projects. Yes — even filling that pothole outside your house!


How the Census affects your road and so much more


Census results influence highway planning, construction and other infrastructure projects through the hundreds of billions in federal funding distributed among the states each year. In West Virginia, that money goes directly to paving your roads and keeping them in good repair. And in West Virginia, the Department of Transportation’s Division of Highways manages more than 34,000 miles of state roads.


So, why is getting counted during the 2020 Census such a big deal? Each uncounted person results in a loss of $2,000 in federal funding each year. Imagine if 100 people in your area didn’t get counted. Over 10 years, that’s a loss of $2 million for roads, infrastructure improvements and many other projects and programs, such as education, healthcare and public safety.


Every person counts!


Building a future


It’s not just roads. Sidewalks, grants for buses and other public transit systems are all affected by Census results. Think about what would happen to your community if the roads in and out disappeared or if your town’s bus service ended. There’s a good chance your town wouldn’t be able to survive. You see, public infrastructure fuels our economy. Without it, you lose easy access to groceries, medicine, clothing and many other consumables.


That’s why you need to respond to the 2020 Census and make sure West Virginia keeps getting the money it needs to pave your roads and keep you connected to the rest of the world.


Respond to the Census


West Virginia’s transportation infrastructure counts on you. West Virginia’s future counts on you. The Census only happens every 10 years, so how you respond today will impact your community every day for the next decade.


So, be counted. Learn more here​