HUNTSVILLE, AL - Letters mailed from Huntsville will soon have a new look. Instead of being stamped at the Huntsville Processing Center, beginning in January, they'll read "Birmingham."
On Tuesday, the U.S. Postal Service announced a consolidation that includes some changes for how local mail is handled in Huntsville.
The decision to move Huntsville's mail processing to Birmingham wasn't easy, but the U.S.P.S. says it's necessary since mail volume has declined 20% within the past several years.
Post office customer Ludwig Gustafson says he understands the need for consolidation, since Americans mail letters less than they used to. He explains, "I come from Europe, and am always surprised at how cheap the mail rates are in the United States. I'm accustomed to two or three dollars per letter. So I'm surprised they've waited this long to make changes like that."
However, others are concerned by the decision to consolidate sorting operations.
Huntsville resident Linda Hoskins worries it'll slow down delivery times: “I’m looking for mail today that should have been here two or three days ago, so I know if it's coming out ofBirmingham, it's going to take even longer. And you know, I don't like it."
Still, the U.S.P.S. claims the move won't cause any changes in local mail delivery.
Long-time post office customer Claudier Fahrner also has some reservations. "I just hope that it doesn't adversely affect people, especially to cut jobs," she says.
But Fahrner admits she understands the Postal Service's need to make changes: “I think if it's a good cost-saving measure that it will help the post office with their debt problem."
Fahrner hopes this particular decision was a smart one, since she plans to keep mailing letters for a long time to come. She says, "I will continue to use the post office, I always use the post office, I think, as long as they're around."
The transition is expected to be completed by January 1, 2012. The Postal Service says some employees may be reassigned to the Birmingham processing and distribution center or to other vacant positions. The decision to consolidate is based on a Postal Service study that began last November.
