WASHINGTON — In a bid to achieve financial sustainability, the U.S. Postal Service finalized its plan Friday to slow down the delivery of some first-class mail, effective Oct. 1.
The 10-year “Delivering for America” plan will add one to two days to the service standards for roughly 39% of first-class mail sent nationwide by adjusting one- to three-day delivery to one- to five-day delivery, Reuters reported.
The goal is to reverse the agency’s projected $160 billion shortfall over the next decade, NPR reported.
In a notice published in the Federal Register, the USPS confirmed that about 61% of first-class mail will remain at its current standard.
Specifically, the agency contends that the select modifications will increase network efficiencies and build-in additional transport time for long-distance package deliveries, NPR reported.
“The new FCPS service standards will also enable additional package volume to be transported by surface transportation, which is more reliable and affordable compared to air transportation,” the USPS wrote in a statement issued in June.
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