The combined population of Bryan/College Station is expected to officially top 200,000 in next year's census.

The Bryan city council was told this month that moves federal funding for public transportation in the twin cities to a category where the twin cities will compete with the largest cities in the U.S.

Dan Rudge of the Bryan/College Station metropolitan planning organization says the new category will require an estimated $666,000 dollars a year from local governments to pay the Brazos Transit District to continue local service.

Rudge says local governments have not had to subsidize the transit district because in its current status, the district can count riders on Texas A&M buses. That is not allowed after moving to the larger population category following the 2020 census.

Rudge recommends a meeting of elected officials throughout the transit district's 16 county service area before the census results become official.