ALBANY – Two Hudson Valley state senators are calling on the postmaster general to conduct a study of a planned new sorting and delivery structure for mail before implementing it in September.
In a letter to the top postal official, Senators Michelle Hinchey (D, Saugerties) and Rob Rolison (R, Poughkeepsie) said the proposed changes, “which include potentially closing numerous local post offices across the Hudson Valley and converting them to sorting and delivery centers, will be detrimental to our region.”
The lawmakers say with “fewer facilities and less staff, rural families will suffer.” They also said people will have to travel farther for services which would have a negative impact on residents, especially seniors.
They also maintain some letter carriers would have to transport mail over 100 miles and there is a potential to lose personnel responsible for sorting rural routes.
“We must put a pause on the September plan until we receive clear answers as to how these changes will affect rural residents, our seniors, and the workers themselves,” Hinchey and Rolison wrote.
