Freight Waves: The U.S. Postal Service needs to do a better job providing information that helps the public find service when local post offices are temporarily closed for emergency repairs or other reasons, say lawmakers behind a new bill that mandates more transparency.

The suspension of post office operations is a longstanding issue, especially in rural communities where residents may have to drive long distances to the nearest alternative retail location to get their mail.

The Postal Service, in many cases, is dragging its feet reopening locations because it’s trying to cut back in outlying areas that cost more to serve as it faces difficult financial pressures, said a letter carrier with deep knowledge of postal policy who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his job. If a post office burns down in a wildfire, for example, management may prefer not to rebuild it.

The Postal Suspension Transparency Act, introduced by the bipartisan leaders of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus in late December, would require the Postal Service to publicly post all temporary closures, alternative service available and the estimated end date of the service disruption.

“Without proper public notice, the temporary suspension of mail service at local post offices can leave people without the ability to receive essential packages and medication, respond to their mail in a timely fashion, and can harm the operations of our small businesses, non-profits, and more,” said Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, in a news release. “Our legislation is a simple fix that will bring transparency to the emergency suspension process and guarantee that everyone knows how they will be able to receive their mail through the duration of any temporary post office closure.”

The bill would require USPS to establish a publicly accessible and searchable website that provides the date and reason for an emergency suspension; the location and hours of operation for the nearest retail postal facility; and to the extent reasonable, an estimated date for the resumption of retail postal service.

Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Michigan, said some post offices in his state’s Upper Peninsula have remained “suspended” for years. Complaints about prolonged post office outages are common across the country.

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