It’s Official, Mail Delivery at 15 Hudson Valley Post Offices is Disappearing
*This article has been updated to contain the most accurate and up-to-date information
Hudson Valley residents are reeling after the recent announcement of an upcoming United States Postal Service (USPS) "consolidation". The decision, which affects 15 local post office locations, will change the way mail is sorted and delivered.
The decision isn't limited to New York. Post offices from all across the country are facing similar restructures, causing many affected citizens to call for the removal of the Post Master General Louis DeJoy. Here's what the changes mean for the Hudson Valley.
USPS Sorting and Delivery Center Conversion in Newburgh, NY
The USPS is introducing new "Sorting and Delivery Centers" (S&DCs) that will act as local hubs for surrounding postal districts. In the Hudson Valley, Newburgh, NY has been named the regional S&DC, with all surrounding mail soon to be sorted at the Newburgh location. The following Hudson Valley post offices are affected.
Hudson Valley, NY Post Offices Affected by New Conversion
James Lloyd, Director of Labor Relations at the USPS, lists September of 2023 as the target date for post offices in Beacon, Clintondale, Cornwall, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Fishkill, Maybrook, Modena, Montgomery, New Paltz, Pine Bush, Rock Tavern, Salisbury Mills, Walden, Wallkill, and Wappingers Falls to have their mail newly sorted at the designated S&DC in Newburgh, NY.
What's Happening to Local Hudson Valley Mail Carriers?
While the above post offices will no longer receive and sort mail, the delivery system itself will otherwise remain unchanged. Instead of reporting to their local post office, mail carriers will report to the Newburgh S&DC. "So those little putt putt mail trucks are supposed to be crossing the bridge and driving on 84 every day!?", lamented one Hudson Valley resident.
Unofficial Costs of New USPS Conversion
Save the Post Office, an organization whose mission is clearly stated in their name, recently highlighted the additional costs that may accompany the new changes. "For most [mail carriers], their new workplace at the S&DC will require a longer commute than the post office where they currently work", they reported. The group estimates that, "over the course of a year, the carrier will drive 5,000 more miles than the current commute requires... the increased [personal fuel] cost would be $3,150 (non-reimbursable).”
Post Office Jobs Affected by S&DC Conversion in New York
While all local post office buildings may not close permanently, a mail carrier in Beacon seemed to confirm not only the September 2023 conversion, but a closing date for the office as well. "We are scheduled to move to Newburgh in September. The office is scheduled to close in April of 2024", they shared. While this news shocked many Beacon residents, the official word from the USPS is that no locations will close and window service will remain at all locations.
*CORRECTION: This article has been corrected to reflect that while mail sorting and delivery will no longer operate from 15 local post offices, window service will still be available at all locations. From the USPS: "As we move forward with this initiative, customers will see no changes to their local post office retail operations. No post offices will be closed and PO Box service will not be changed"
