Postal Service to end Saturday deliveries

Beginning in August 2013, the U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering mail on Saturdays in an effort to alleviate ongoing financial challenges, Raymond Daiutolo, regional spokesperson for the Postal Service, said.

Daiutolo said while mail delivery to street addresses will only occur Monday through Friday, packages and mail addresses to P.O. Boxes will continue to be delivered six days a week. Post offices currently open on Saturdays will remain open on Saturdays, Daiutolo said. 

“The operational plan for the new delivery schedule anticipates a combination of employee reassignment and attrition and is expected to achieve cost savings of approximately $2 billion annually when fully implemented,” Daiutolo said.

The Postal Service issued a survey conducted by Ispos, a leading independent market research company, showing that 80 percent of Americans support the new mail delivery schedule, Daiutolo said. The survey was conducted to 1,002 people over the age of 18 between Feb. 8 and 11. Results show high support among all age groups, income levels and geographic locations.

Based on the survey, CEO and Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said the American public understands the financial challenges of the Postal Service and supports this new delivery schedule. The study shows that 83 percent of people over the age of 55 who rely most heavily on the Postal Service support the new delivery schedule.

Daituolo said Newark residents should not be greatly affected as the Post Offices on Main Street and Ogletown Road will remain open on Saturdays.

Sandy Surmacz, 24, of Newark, said she also will not be personally affected and does not think many Newark residents will be.

“I rarely check my mail,” Surmacz said. “I think it will affect businesses much more than individuals.”

Junior Sigal Middleton said the mail delivery in Newark is already stressed and shortening the work week by a day could be detrimental.

“It already takes a lot of time for mail to get on-campus housing so this is going to make it even later,” Middleton said.

According to Daiutolo, this national policy is not likely to revert back to the old schedule in the future because of the serious financial challenges facing the Postal Service.

“Postal Service’s financial problems are more urgent than ever and will continue to get worse until Congress takes action to reform our business model,” Daiutolo said.

Dr. James Taylor, a physical therapist in Newark said he does not mind the change and it makes no difference to him. He said he does understand however, how the policy could be detrimental people with low income levels.

“Some people literally depend on a paycheck to survive so this new policy could seriously affect them,” Taylor said.