Post Office List Closings: Will it Happen Near You?
Will the post office closures affect your neighborhood?
On Tuesday the U. S. Postal Service announced the closures of 3,653 post offices throughout all 50 states to restore financial stability to the debt-laden postal system.
It seems e-mail is in and snail mail is out, which has caused a dramatic reduction in sales. Could your neighborhood be next?
New York has about 2,100 post offices, and there are 110 on the closing list, so approximately 5 percent of NY's post offices are on the list.
It is also estimated that many states are going to find themselves with a closure rate of even greater than 11 percent.
Over 100 California offices are slated to close, 34 Florida offices and 39 in the Washington, D.C. area.
As reported on CNN News, more than 2,500 village post offices may by created in grocery and convenience stores in the next year and the first round will be announced this year.
Most of the post offices being studied for closure have so little foot traffic that workers average less than two hours of work per day and average sales are less than $50 a day, according to the Postal Service.
Reportedly, the Postal Service will spend at least four months evaluating each post office. Anyone who objects to a closing has 60 days to submit comments to the Postal Service.
The closings are expected to begin within the next four to six months, with the first closing by January.
Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement during a news conference on Tuesday, “The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner and more competitive and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value.”
