Several local mail processing facilities could be studied for possible consolidation or closure as the U.S. Postal Service proposes large cuts in its organization in order to save up to $3 billion a year.
Proposals under consideration include studying nearly 250 processing facilities for possible consolidation or closure, reducing mail processing equipment by as much as 50 percent, dramatically decreasing the nationwide transportation network, adjusting the workforce size by as many as 35,000 positions, and revising service standards for First-Class Mail.
“We are forced to face a new reality today,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “First-Class Mail supports the organization and drives network requirements. With the dramatic decline in mail volume and the resulting excess capacity, maintaining a vast national infrastructure is no longer realistic. Since 2006, we have closed 186 facilities, removed more than 1,500 pieces of mail processing equipment, decreased employee complement by more than 110,000 through attrition and reduced costs by $12 billion.”
The following area processing facilities may face changes in the next few years:
- Cumberland MD CSMPC Cumberland MD
- Eastern Shore MD P&DF Easton MD
- Suburban MD Annex Gaithersburg MD
- Waldorf MD CSMPC Waldorf MD
- Lynchburg VA P&DF Lynchburg VA
- Norfolk VA Annex Norfolk VA
- Norfolk VA P&DC Norfolk VA
- Roanoke VA P&DC Roanoke VA
- Bluefield WV CSMPC Bluefield WV
- Clarksburg WV P&DF Clarksburg WV
- Parkersburg WV CSMPC Parkersburg WV
- Petersburg WV CSMPC Petersburg WV
The entire list can be found here.
With the increased use of e-mail and online transactions, the use of the Postal Service seems to be in deep decline. The USPS said Thursday that 60 percent of Americans pay bills online compared with 5 percent in 2000.
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The USPS said mail volume has dropped by more than 43 billion pieces in the past 5 years and continues to slide. First-Class mail has dropped 25 percent and single piece First-Class mail -- letters bearing postage stamps -- has declined 36 percent in the same time frame, and nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years.
USPS said that the decline has created "substantial excess capacity" within the processing network.
How would the potential processing facilities closures affect mail delivery? With the proposed change, the new service standard would become 2–3 days, meaning that, on average, customers would no longer receive mail the day after it was mailed. If implemented, the change would allow for significant infrastructure changes to be made across the nation, according to USPS.
And as for any potential post offices closing, USPS said they are still conducting studies and that the earliest that a list would be finalized would be late December or early January.
