Pols put pressure on post office

Local elected officials are seeking to maintain pressure on the Kingsbridge Post Office after residents complained of chronically erratic delivery starting near the end of 2013.

Councilman Andrew Cohen, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Rep. Eliot Engel and state Sen. Jeff Klein met with Bronx Postmaster Lillian Rodriguez last week to discuss their concerns, though their offices have received fewer complaints about mail service from constituents in recent months.

Mr. Dinowitz called on USPS to make sure windows at the 5517 Broadway post office, which serves the 10463 ZIP code, are consistently open and to help customers understand which lines to use. 

He also said the post office could use more staff for deliveries. The assemblyman explained that according to Ms. Rodriguez, the start of the week typically sees a backlog of mail transferred from Manhattan, slowing deliveries down.

A USPS spokeswoman said the Kingsbridge Post Office already added two “carrier assistants” to help with delivery. The hires joined within the last year.

Spokeswoman Connie Chirichello also said in an e-mail that the USPS is taking extra pains — like occasionally assigning workers from other sites to help at the Kingsbridge Post Office — to ensure timely deliveries.

Regarding service inside the post office itself, she said USPS management is working with clerks and supervisors on “the proper use of the tools of our trade (such as scanning and telephone courtesy) that help keep the Kingsbridge Station mail experience a professional and valued experience.”

A joint statement from the local elected officials took an enthusiastic tone toward the struggling post office.

“The Postmaster heard all of our concerns and we have the utmost confidence that she will once again act quickly to correct the issues,” they said.

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