How US Postal Service's proposed rural mail slowdown will affect Licking County unclear

The U.S. Postal Service is proposing a plan it says will cut costs, speed up delivery times for most customers and enhance its efficiency and productivity.

Rural areas, however, may experience some slower service.

According to the agency, the new plan would cut annual costs by about $3 billion. It would accomplish this in part by allowing some mail and packages to sit at certain facilities for an extra day instead of shipping them out right away, according to Postmaster Louis DeJoy. Customers within 50 miles of the agency’s largest processing centers would receive faster delivery service.

People living in rural and far-flung areas could be most impacted by the proposed changes, according to DeJoy.

"At the end of the day, I think some portion of the mail showing up 12 hours later, I think it's a price that had to be paid for letting this place be neglected," DeJoy told The Washington Post.

It’s unclear which, if any, Licking County post offices might be affected if the proposal moves forward. A Postal Service spokesperson did not respond to a question from The Advocate seeking clarity on areas that might be most affected by the proposal.

A Postal Service fact sheet states the changes wouldn't affect delivery for around 75% of first-class mail. Around two-thirds of mail would still be delivered in three days or less, according to the agency.

It’s possible Licking County is affected differently, if at all, than other counties if the proposal moves forward. Some areas of the county are within 50 miles of the Postal Service processing plant and distribution center in Columbus.

“If you mail something from near our Regional Processing and Distribution Center to anywhere in rural (areas), it will get there as fast if not faster,” the spokesperson told The Advocate in an email. “If you mail something from a rural area, it may take 12 to 24 hours extra but still within our service standards.”

For example, a piece of mail might take three days to arrive instead of two or four days instead of three.

“Both now and in the future, a majority of mail from rural origins is delivered within three days or less,” the spokesperson said.

During its announcement, the Postal Service said it would request an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission. After receiving that, the agency said it will consider the opinion and then decide.

The proposal would not take effect until next year, in part to avoid disruptions during the election cycle and holiday season.

Though the agency says the changes won’t affect existing service standards, it has drawn some criticism, including from advocacy group Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service. The group told CBS News that “service can only be degraded so much, and prices increased so high, before individuals and businesses lose confidence in the postal system.”

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia, told multiple news outlets in statements that because DeJoy is proposing lowering service standards again, he “might as well announce a return to delivering mail by horse and buggy.”

DeJoy came under similar criticism in 2020, when cost-cutting measures slowed down mail delivery during that year’s election.

Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: How would a USPS proposed rural mail slowdown affect Licking County?