Friday, January 25, 2013
First-class postal rates are going up for the second time in two years.
While the volume of first-class mail has dropped sharply, from an all-time high of 213 billion pieces in 2006 to only 168 billion in 2011, according to a New York Times story, the United States Post Service (USPS) is struggling, showing a loss of $36 million per day. The most prominent way for the USPS to recover revenue is to raise postage and mailing rates. Since 1885, when the price for the first ounce of a first-class letter was $0.02, rates have increased 24 times and will jump to $0.46 as of Sunday, January 27, 2013. According to a press release from the USPS, the price of a Forever Stamp - which allows a customer to send a one-ounce letter anywhere in the United States - will go up one penny to $0.46. Each additional ounce of a …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
First-class postal rates are going up for the second time in two years.
While the volume of first-class mail has dropped sharply—from an all-time high of 213 billion pieces in 2006 to only 168 billion in 2011, according to a New York Times story—the U.S. Postal Service is struggling, showing a loss of $36 million per day. The most prominent way for the Postal Service to recover revenue is to raise postage and mailing rates. Since 1885, when the price for the first ounce of a first-class letter was $0.02, rates have increased 24 times and will jump to $0.46 as of Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. According to a press release from the USPS, the price of a "Forever" stamp—which allows a customer to send a one-ounce letter anywhere in the United States—will go up one penny to $0.46. Each additional ounce of a first-class …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Citing no parking, U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen again calls on Postal Service to relocate the new Bethesda post office.
U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD) is once again calling on the U.S. Postal Service to relocate the new Bethesda post office, which has no parking for patrons. In a July 27 letter to USPS, he called the site selection “misguided” and said the USPS “misrepresented its procedures and stated priorities” in choosing a site with no parking. USPS recently closed the two downtown Bethesda post offices at 7001 Arlington Rd. and 7400 Wisconsin Ave. and consolidated them at the new location at 6900 Wisconsin Ave. The consolidation is part of a nationwide effort by USPS to consolidate or close post offices in the face of declining revenues. With no dedicated parking at the new site, those who park next door in the lot for Mattress Discounters …
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
New location at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue has been open for about a week, but patrons worry about the lack of convenient parking.
A new downtown Bethesda post office has opened up on Wisconsin Avenue, but there’s just one problem – there’s no parking. The United States Postal Service is closing the two downtown Bethesda post offices at 7001 Arlington Road and 7400 Wisconsin Avenue and consolidating them at the new location at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue. The consolidation is part of a nationwide effort by USPS to consolidate or close post offices to help face declining revenues. USPS first announced their consolidation plan at a community meeting last July, saying they were on the hunt for a central, downtown location with parking. Residents also drove home the importance of keeping the new post office in a location accessible to Metro and bus transit. While the new …
38.978462
-77.091409
6900 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD
/articles/no-parking-at-new-bethesda-post-office
/locations/7151832
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New Bethesda post office location is on Wisconsin Avenue; to be announced shortly, USPS says.
Update, 7:18 a.m.: The Gazette is reporting the current post offices will be consolidated into a new facility in three months, citing a USPS spokeswoman, Laura Dvorak. A postal service real estate specialist could not confirm a timeline to Patch but reported the new site is on Wisconsin Avenue, where a deal is "in the works." Original post, 5:50 a.m.: The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday approved a project plan amendment that will bring a five-story, mixed-use residential and retail building to the Bethesda post office site at 7001 Arlington Road. An original plan for the site was approved in 2008. Developers Keating Project Development, Inc. brought a plan amendment before the Montgomery County Planning Board last month that would …
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Under proposal, Wisconsin Ave. and Arlington Road post offices may close and re-locate to a central office.
The U.S. Postal Service is considering whether to consolidate the Bethesda post office at 7001 Arlington Road and the historic post office at 7400 Wisconsin Avenue, according to a Gazette report. The Wisconsin Avenue post office, located near the Bethesda Metro and the Madonna of the Trail statue, is a community icon that dates back to 1938 and features historic interior murals. The statue and the structure are both designated historic by the county. According to the report, USPS will hold a community meeting to discuss a proposal to close the two post offices and re-locate to a central office. USPS sold the Wisconsin Avenue property in March to Donohoe companies, though Donohoe is leasing the space back to the postal service, the Gazette …
Bob B
11:10 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Postal Rates go up every year, in the first quarter sometime. They have been doing so since 2006. The annual rate increases are at inflation or lower. Before 2006, postage increased every three years or so, but at a much higher rate. USPS changed it cycle in response to consumer demand that smaller even if more frequent increases are preferable and less disruptive. more ›