The US Postal Service has removed six branches from its list of possible consolidations since December, dropping the total number of offices it may close to 162.
New York and Cincinnati have the highest number of stations under review, with six each. The agency is also considering the fate of four stations in Akron, OH, and three each in Oakland, CA, Atlanta, Louisville, KY, Detroit, Kansas City, MO, Albany, NY, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Antonio. The USPS is focusing the process on urban and suburban branches, where it believes closures could take place with less interruption in customer service.
The process of consolidating post office branches to save money and to adjust to changing consumer habits began last summer with more about 3,300 locations under review. The agency, which must report its list of possible consolidations to the Postal Regulatory Commission, has made no final decisions about what offices it might close.
The Postal Service saw a net loss of $3.8 billion for its 2009 fiscal year, which ended September 30.
Last December, the USPS reported that it was considering closing 168 branches. The month before, the agency had 241 locations on its potential closure list, including 13 stations in Atlanta, eight in Washington, DC, six in New York and five in Orlando, FL.
A Postal Service representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
