FarmWeekNow.com: Proposed operational changes within the U.S. Postal Service aim to financially stabilize the agency and improve service reliability, but critics say the plan discriminates against rural America.

The changes, which were announced last month but have not been approved, would entail faster service to customers within 50 miles of the Postal Service’s largest processing facilities. But for outlying areas, the change could add an additional day to delivery, though mail would still be delivered within five days or fewer across the continental U.S.

The proposed operational updates will modernize the ground transportation network to reflect changing customer needs, reduce costs to become financially self-sufficient and provide more predictable and reliable service, according to a USPS fact sheet.

For more than a decade, the postal service has operated under a broken business model that amassed more than $87 billion in losses from 2007 through 2020. The proposed actions are projected to reduce costs by approximately $3 billion annually.

Underpinning the plan is the need to pivot to a network built around both letters and parcels.

The USPS is introducing “Regional Transportation Optimization,” which is consolidation of delivery and collection activities. For post offices far from regional hubs, pick-up and drop-off of mail will occur primarily in the morning. Essentially, USPS would allow mail and packages to sit at certain facilities for an extra day instead of transporting them immediately for processing and delivery.

Many stakeholders who spoke during a pre-conference virtual hearing with USPS legal representatives and leaders Thursday said the changes discriminate against rural residents, who can live hundreds of miles from regional hubs. The lack of internet availability and seniors needing timely prescriptions force rural residents to heavily rely on the postal service, they added.

USPS panelists stressed most customers will see the same or upgrades in service, while 6% are expected to experience downgrades. They also noted medications also should continue to be delivered at their current speed, or faster, under the proposal.

Read more: USPS changes could mean slower rural delivery | General | farmweeknow.com