Mail delivery times, carriers may change

Carson City residents may see new mail carriers or different delivery times because of a drop in demand at the U.S. Postal Service.

About 80 percent of residents could see mail delivered earlier or later than usual by a carrier on a restructured route, said David Rupert of the postal service.

The national reorganization affecting about 51 delivery routes covering almost 24,000 homes and businesses in Carson City is a good way to handle falling demand, he said.

The changes started Friday and more will be made this week. No one was laid off because of the changes, Rupert said.

The post office has cut 100,000 jobs the past six years by closing positions after employees retire or quit, he said.

More than 9 billion fewer pieces of mail were delivered last year compared to the year before, according to the postal service.

Rupert said the postal service announced the changes because a regular delivery time and familiar carrier is important to many people.

"For some folks, that does mean an awful lot," he said.

Carson City Postmaster Dave Dayton said most changes have been small and "not at all dramatic" so far.

Employees recognize that the economy is slow, he said, and see that the postal service is trying to keep everyone working full time.

Rupert said some people mistake e-mail as the reason for the slowdown at the postal service. But, deliveries also are dropping because of the loss in ad sales.

"We're right in the middle of all that mix," he said.

The carriers' union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, said it supported the changes after working with the postal service on the reorganization.

- Contact reporter Dave Frank at dfrank@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.