Binghamton Postal Service Changes Made as Delivery Issues Persist

The U.S. Postal Service has made big changes in the way mail is sorted in the Binghamton area in an effort to reduce operating costs.

The development of the new Binghamton sorting and delivery center started a year ago and is nearing completion.

In recent weeks, some Broome County residents have been complaining about sporadic and unpredictable mail delivery.

The local sorting facility absorbed delivery operations for 10 smaller post offices with 150 routes and 17 ZIP codes.

A postal service spokesperson based in Pittsburgh said delivery operations "can be disrupted occasionally due to employee availability for reasons such as illness, personal leave, retirements and more that may impact mail deliveries on some routes."

When problems develop, the USPS may expand deliveries to earlier in the morning and later in the evening. Carriers sometimes are brought in from nearby post offices to help deal with the issues.

Delivery operations at most of Broome County's post offices were absorbed at the Binghamton center last year. The Vestal post office - with 20 routes - is the final location undergoing the conversion.

An initial audit by the postal service Office of Inspector General revealed a slight reduction in on-time mail delivery after the opening of the Binghamton sorting and delivery center.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.