The new changes, which include longer first-class mail delivery times and cuts to post office hours, are part of embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan for the agency that he unveiled earlier this year.
According to USPS spokeswoman Kim Frum, most first-class Mail (61%) and periodicals (93%) will be unaffected by the new service standard changes. Standards for single-piece first-class mail traveling within a local area will continue to be two days.
However, the Postal Service will be increasing the transit time for mail traveling longer distances, which will lead to slower mail delivery in some cases.
“These changes would position us to leverage more cost-effective means to transport First-Class packages via ground rather than using costly air transportation, which is also less reliable due to weather, flight traffic, availability constraints, competition for space, and the added hand-offs involved,” Frum said.
In March, DeJoy, a Trump administration holdover, told reporters in a news briefing that the plan “takes a holistic view of the organization and is meant to elevate our business, competitiveness, and our ability to meet the needs of the nation.”
Lawmakers and some USPS board members have criticized the plan, and many Democrats have called for DeJoy’s ouster.
