USPS plans to keep rural post offices open

The U.S. Postal Service yesterday announced a plan to keep open thousands of rural post offices, including operations in Billings, Bois D'Arc, Fordland, Highlandville, Lampe, Niangua, Spokane, Urbana and Walnut Grove.

The plan is counter to the postal service's previous plans to close roughly 3,600 of the nation's smallest post offices.

The new plan features cost savings by modifying retail window hours at rural post offices to match customer use, according to a news release.

The news comes on the heels of a February survey conducted by Opinion Research Corp., which found 54 percent of rural customers wanted to keep their local post offices up and running and 46 percent preferred an alternative option, the release said.

The plan, which would phased in by September 2014, would save the USPS an estimated $500 million annually, according to the release.

In addition to shorter hours, the postal service also would consider these cost-saving measures:

• providing mail delivery services to the affected communities via rural carriers or highway contract routes;
• contracting with a local businesses to create village post offices; and
• offering services from other, nearby post offices.

“The post offices in rural America will remain open unless a community has a strong preference for one of the other options," USPS Chief Operating Officer Megan Brennan said in the release. "We will not close any of these rural post offices without having provided a viable solution.”

Prior to making changes, the USPS awaits review of the plan by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The postal service then would hold community meetings to review options in greater detail, according to the release.

No changes or closures will occur before the May 15 voluntary moratorium that was previously announced.[[In-content Ad]]