January 1, USPS Financial Woes Force Rural Delivery Slowdown and Stamp Price Hike

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is facing severe financial issues, forcing it to consider slowing mail delivery to rural and long-distance areas after the election. According to reports, if you live within 50 miles of the USPS’s major processing facilities, your mail would arrive faster. However, areas farther away could see an extra day added to their mail delivery times, although the USPS still aims for delivery within five days across the nation. Here’s the breakdown of what to expect and how it might impact your community.

**Which Areas Will Be Most Affected**

So, who will experience slower mail? Here’s the scoop: Urban and Larger Areas: Major cities like Akron, Atlanta, and Baltimore, which are close to large Processing and Distribution Centers, will not see any slowdown. These urban centers will continue to have regular, evening mail pickups. On the other hand, Rural and Smaller Post Offices: Smaller, rural post offices located more than 50 miles from processing centers will face delays. Evening mail collected in these areas won’t be sent out until the next morning, slowing down the entire delivery process.

**Your Packages Could Face Delays Too**

If the new USPS plan goes into effect, your packages might spend an extra day sitting at processing facilities. This plan, which has already been or will be piloted in Virginia, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Oregon, targets both rural areas and smaller post offices far from processing centers. These changes fall under “Hybrid Optimization” or “Full Optimization” schemes aimed at managing mail more efficiently.

**Stamp Prices on the Rise**

In another attempt to balance the budget, stamp prices saw a hike this past July. The price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp jumped by 5 cents, bringing it from 68 cents to 73 cents. This increase, among other price hikes for mailing service products, results in an average 7.8 percent rise. The costs for metered letters, domestic and international postcards, and international letters all saw increases. An additional ounce for single-piece letters now costs 28 cents, up from the previous 24 cents.

**Customer Loss Concerns Grow**

Industry critics argue that the USPS is at risk of losing even more customers because of the combination of rising prices and slower deliveries. First-class mail volume has already plummeted to 46 billion pieces in 2023 from nearly 64 billion in 2014. “With record high postage prices and slower service, we are concerned about what these changes will mean for rural communities and the rest of the country,” states the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service. “Service can only degrade so much, and prices can only increase so high before individuals and businesses lose faith in the postal system,” an indication that public confidence is waning.

**Postmaster General Speaks Out**

Why is this happening? Postmaster General Louis DeJoy attributes these necessary changes to the organization’s neglect and aims to save $3 billion. “At the end of the day, I think some portion of the mail showing up 12 hours later is a price that had to be paid for letting this place be neglected,” DeJoy told The Washington Post. “You look around every other country; [delivery] is longer, it’s much more expensive. We’re trying to save the Postal Service — not figuratively, not to advocate for something. We’re trying to literally save the Postal Service.” Public hearings will be available for Americans to provide their feedback.

As our loyal readers, we encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions on this issue. Let your voice be heard and join the discussion below.

Source