DOTD promotes 2020 U.S. Census with digital message boards statewide
Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 8:59:43 AM
DOTD promotes 2020 U.S. Census with digital message boards statewide
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is encouraging participation in the 2020 U.S. Census through the use of messages on digital message boards across the state.
Look for the messages on interstates and other major roadways as you make your daily commute, asking residents to take part in providing information important to gathering data for the 2020 U.S. Census.
“By posting these messages, DOTD is doing its part to remind everyone that participating in the U.S. Census impacts a wide variety of aspects, including roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure in our communities over the next decade, and that all residents should respond to the questionnaire to ensure our state gets its fair share,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “Louisiana citizens need to be accurately accounted for because most of the federal funds are often distributed based on the Census numbers. These funds are vital to our ability to finance infrastructure projects. Having everyone complete the Census helps ensure that we don’t get shortchanged in the future.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a little over half of Louisianians have self-reported so far since data gathering began on April 1, 2020. The national response rate is 63%.
Responding to the Census is more important than simply being counted as part of the state’s population. It is a measure of billions in federal funding eligibility for a variety of programs.
The results of the Census data are used to determine critical factors for each state, such as legislative representation and districts, locations of new schools and educational programs, infrastructure advancement, how federal funding is allocated, and crucial medical services.
There are three options for responding to the 2020 U.S. Census:
U.S. Census Bureau
National Processing Center
1201 E. 10th Street
Jeffersonville, IN 47132
DOTD would like to remind residents that the U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to protect your answers and keep them strictly confidential. So when you’re prompted by one of the digital message signs to participate, please keep in mind that your answers are critical to ensuring that Louisiana is accurately and fairly represented.
More information on the 2020 U.S. Census can be found by clicking here.