USPS-PO eliminates 6 routes, causing later deliveries

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SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield post office eliminated six routes in October as part of a nation-wide change to accommodate decreasing mail volumes, according to Postmaster Sunsan Vanzant.

“It’s not just Springfield, it’s across the nation and it’s due to the decline in mail volume,” she said.

An elimination means that most of the routes in the territory are realigned to cover the entire area with fewer carriers.

“I would say quite a few residents probably saw a change in their delivery because of that,” Vanzant said. “It’s a good possibility a high percentage, over 50 percent of the customers, probably saw a change in the delivery time.”

Vanzant estimated a 14 percent decrease in mail volume from this time last year and said the economy has more people choosing to pay bills online than purchase stamps to mail them and cutting back on their mailing.

Carriers are assigned eight hour shifts and are out on the route about seven- to seven-and-a-half hours, she said.

[POSTMAN]