7-20-2021 The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the USPS 2021 ten-year plan, Delivering for America. This approval comes despite the PRC having reservations about the lack of operational or pilot testing of proposed service standard changes. Additionally, the PRC questions the cost savings created saying, “the proposed service standard changes do not indicate much improvement, if any, to the Postal Service’s current financial condition.”
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy predicts, “within three years we can begin to operate on a financially self-sustaining basis and improve service performance dramatically . . . .” This prediction is based on fully implementing the plan
First-Class Mail service targets have not been met in eight years. Plans to repair this include lengthening delivery standards for some mail and using ground transportation instead of air. These changes would improve reliability and reduce expenses. Mail transported by air is subject to the schedules of the commercial airlines, including delays, cancelations, and re-routing. During the time the mail is in the planes, the USPS has no control over delivery time. Particularly during 2020, air transportation rescheduling negatively affected delivery standards. Changing from air to ground transportation will reduce the number of steps required to move the mail. Most First-Class Mail (61% according to the USPS) will not be affected by this change and mail traveling within a local area will still have a standard of two-day delivery.
The Plan calls for consideration of shortened hours or consolidation of postal facilities in metropolitan areas where there are multiple retail facilities. Rural post offices are not affected. The USPS projects that these modifications will affect only a small percentage of metropolitan facilities. Prior to any changes, the USPS will request advisory opinions from the PRC.
Refreshed lobbies are promised to retail customers as part of the $4 billion the USPS plans to spend on retail facilities. The report does not address whether these funds will be used at USPS owned or leased facilities. Also targeted for improvement are digital and mobile tools and tracking of the mail.
Partnering with all levels of government to provide more services for the public will generate more revenue and more foot traffic in retail facilities. These changes include passport services, fingerprint capture, biometric data capture and notary services.
This PRC approval is advisory in nature. Current law does not give the Commission authority to veto any of the Postal Service’s service changes, and the Postal Service is not required to implement or take any further action in response to the Commission’s advisory opinion.
Delivering for America ten-year plan