NEW FACES. NEW TIMES

Postal Service announces Sparks route adjustments

SPARKS—Most Sparks residents are seeing their mail delivered at a different time or by a different carrier as the Postal Service implements sweeping changes.

In response to changing mail volumes and technology advances, the Postal Service has been making adjustments to many individual carrier routes in the City

In Sparks, at least five full-time routes have been eliminated and will be absorbed by adjacent routes. Approximately 75 percent of the other routes have had changes in territory that will increase fuel efficiency and eliminate costly travel time between routes.

“We’ll be serving the same territory with our daily deliveries, but with fewer carrier routes,” said

Sparks Postmaster Gary Fradd. “While we try to minimize customer inconvenience, it is inevitable that some addresses will be delivered at a different time than they’ve grown accustomed.”

The route adjustments are fueled by an unprecedented drop in mail volume. Mail volume is approximately 15 percent less this year than last and the Postal Service anticipates a $7 billion loss. Additionally, technological innovations have automated much of the letter and flat sorting that used to be done manually.

”We need to be responsible and efficient and these changes will streamline our operation,” said Fradd. “The end result will be a smoother operation and will help keep postage costs as low as possible.”

The route adjustments were done cooperatively with the National Association of Letter Carriers through a national route review process.