Wyoming’s congressional delegation is raising concerns about a US Postal Service (USPS) plan that would have the state’s mail processed at facilities in four neighboring states, Cowboy State Daily reports.
Despite advisories warning of potential negative effects on rural communities, USPS appears poised to move forward with the changes under its Delivering for America plan.
US Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, along with US Rep. Harriet Hageman, have sent a letter to outgoing Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, pressing for details on how Wyoming’s mail will be handled under the new system.
A key concern is that Wyoming, unlike other states, will not have a designated Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RP&DC). Instead, mail that would normally be processed within the state is expected to be split between regional centers in Denver, CO; Billings, MT; Salt Lake City, UT; and Boise, ID.
The delegation’s letter questions whether mail originating in one part of Wyoming but destined for another will have to leave the state for processing before being rerouted back. Lawmakers are also seeking clarification on how local processing units in Cheyenne and Casper will impact mail delivery within the state.
Under the Delivering for America plan, post offices located more than 50 miles from a large regional processing center fall under the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) system. This change eliminates afternoon pickups, which USPS acknowledges will add at least one extra day to mail delivery times.
Because Wyoming lacks a designated RP&DC, much of the state could fall under these new service standards, potentially affecting next-day mail delivery. The delegation is asking whether communities within 50 miles of Cheyenne and Casper’s processing centers will continue to have evening pickups or if they, too, will be affected by the RTO plan.
One of the lawmakers’ biggest concerns is that Wyoming mail could be processed inefficiently across multiple states. For example, a letter sent from central Wyoming to western Wyoming could pass through up to four separate processing centers in three different states before reaching its destination.
This potential issue, described by the delegation as a “particularly egregious” example, has already led to complaints from USPS customers who say their mail is taking unnecessarily long and indirect routes—even before these new changes are fully implemented.
USPS has defended the Delivering for America plan, rejecting concerns raised by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), which issued a non-binding advisory opinion warning of negative consequences for rural areas. USPS has stated that the PRC’s concerns are exaggerated and do not account for the expected benefits of the new system.
Wyoming’s congressional delegation, however, is urging USPS to reconsider, arguing that multiple agencies, postal workers, and industry stakeholders have flagged significant issues with the plan.
Meanwhile, postal employees in Wyoming have also expressed uncertainty about how the changes will impact mail operations. While Casper and Cheyenne are expected to become Local Processing Centers (LPCs), employees say they have yet to receive clear guidance on how these changes will affect mail routing and delivery.
USPS is set to begin implementing the first phase of the RTO system on April 1, adding an extra day to delivery times for mail originating from affected post offices. The second phase, scheduled for July 1, will introduce further adjustments to service standards.
