Roosevelt Island Residents Rally Yesterday With Chants And Signs To Save The Post Office & Save Our Democracy - RI Congresswomen Carolyn Maloney Holding Oversight Committee Hearing Tomorrow On Protecting The Timely Delivery Of Mail, Medicine And Mail In Ballots.

A spirited and enthusiastic group of Roosevelt Island residents gathered together in front of our local Post Office Saturday morning, August 22, to join in the nationwide Save The Post Office, Save Our Democracy rallies.

According to the Washington Post:

... more than 800 community demonstrations at post offices that swept the nation Saturday as part of a day of action organized against controversial changes to mailing operations. Over the past few weeks, President Trump has concerned citizens and enraged Democrats by slowing mail service, blocking emergency funds and attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of mail-in ballots — all while acknowledging his intention to restrict how many Americans can vote by mail....

Here are some scenes from yesterday's Roosevelt Island Save The Post Office, Save Our Democracy Rally.

More scenes from yesterday’s Roosevelt Island #SaveThePostOffice rally -2 pic.twitter.com/lpVuiIY9F5

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) August 23, 2020

Read more »

Roosevelt Island Residents Join In Nationwide Save Our Post Office, Save Our Democracy Rallies Saturday August 22 At RI Post Office Branch - You're Invited To Participate, Wear Mask And Bring Signs

Save our post office/ Save our Democracy
WHEN:
Saturday, August 22 at 11 a.m.
HOST(S):
Ellen P.
WHERE
Roosevelt Island Post office
Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
we will fight to save all our post offices AND our Democracy. meet outside our Post Office at 11.

— Naomi AugustImbrogno (@NaomiImbrogno) August 21, 2020

Roosevelt Island resident Matt Katz reports:

Hello Friends. As I'm sure you're aware, MoveOn is organizing rallies across the country to express people's outrage at the attempts to sabotage our postal service. Roosevelt Islanders are no exception and we will convene in front of our branch post office on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Be sure to wear your masks and bring your signs.

According to the Roosevelt Island Save Our Post Office, Save Our Democracy Rally host:

12 years ago Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and 3,000 Roosevelt Islanders fought to keep our Local Post office open. This time we will fight to save all our post offices AND our Democracy. We will be meeting outside our Post Office at 11. Also petition signing starting at 8am outside the farmers market.

The Washington Post has more on recent mail delivery delays.

RIRA Island Services Committee Report On Tram Station Elevators, Boy Scouts, Sportspark Facilities Inspection, Southtown Trash Yard Rats, Enhanced Senior Center Services, New Public Library & Post Office Customer Service

Rendering Of New Roosevelt Island Public Library Entrance Coming In 2017

Below is Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC)

 Image From RIRA

report to the RIRA December Common Council:

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (“ISC”)

REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL – 12/2/15

ISC met 11/23/15 with 10 members present from a membership of 13.

Tram Elevators – The old elevator continues to be unreliable with service frequently interrupted by breakdowns lasting from one day to two weeks.

The logjam in bankruptcy court was removed when the judge awarded the design contracts for the new elevators to two new design firms. There is no estimate of when the design will be finished and a RFP prepared.

Boy Scouts – ISC voted to terminate the program to reactivate a Boy Scout troop on RI. After a 1‐1⁄2 year effort, all that’s been accomplished is getting a place to meet. We
have detected little to no Community interest in a Boy Scout troop. To be certified by the Greater NY Boy Scout Council, we would need, besides a meeting place, a sponsoring organization, 5 committed adults (including a Scoutmaster) and a minimum of 10 boys.

Sportspark – ISC has prepared an updated inspection of Sportspark’s facilities and programs. This inspection report will be sent to RIOC with a request for a joint meeting to discuss the report and develop new action plans

Southtown Commercial Trash Yard – Related has assigned a porter from 425 Main St. to daily clean up the yard. This has improved the yard’s condition, but not completely fixed the problem of rats getting to the trash food. The yard still needs better bins with covers that can be tightly closed and more frequent pick‐ups by the disposal company.

Enhanced Services at Senior Center ‐ ISC is compiling a list of all services and programs available from the Dept. of Aging and other NYC agencies that could be provided to seniors. We will then request a meeting with the staff and leadership of the Senior Center to initiate needed new services for RI elder residents.

New Public Library ‐ Design of the new library is moving at a faster pace than expected. The library will have 5.2K sq. ft., about double the present space. There will be 26 computer stations vs. 4‐5 now. The estimated opening date has been moved ahead from 2018 to fall, 2017. The Public Library expects to hold a town meeting in mid‐January for the RI Community.

Post Office Customer Service – Some residents and ISC members concerned about poor customer service at the Post Office report that service has substantially improved, perhaps, due to ISC contacts with the Post Office Manager.

Respectfully Submitted, Aaron Hamburger, ISC Chair

RIRA Island Services Committee Reports On Roosevelt Island Tram Station Elevator, Control Of Rats, Sportspark, New Public Library, Boy Scouts, Post Office Customer Service & Enhanced Services At Senior Center

Below is Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC) Report

Image From RIRA

to the October 7, 2015 Common Council (CC) Meeting submitted by Chair Aaron Hamburger.

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (“ISC”)

REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL – 10/17/2015

ISC met 9/28/15 with 11 members present from a membership of 13.

Tram Old & New Elevators – The old elevator was finally repaired at the end of August after an eight‐week outage. However, during September, this elevator experienced 4‐5 shutdowns, each lasting 1 – 3 days. At the beginning of October, the elevator was operating.

The project for the new elevators is being held‐up because the firm handling the design went bankrupt. RIOC can’t proceed with the project until the court handling the bankruptcy case transfers the design contract to a different design group. RIOC estimates it might be another six weeks before this situation is resolved. RIOC still estimates the new elevators will be in operation by the fall of 2016. ISC’s pessimistic estimate is operation in the first quarter, 2017.

Control of Rats – Commercial Trash – The Southtown commercial trash yard finally seems to be up to Dept. of Sanitation standards.

The trash bins at Wholesome Factory are not meeting regulations. ISC met with the store’s Manager, who promised that this situation would be corrected within a week. ISC will continue to occasionally inspect the site.

Sportspark – Pending a new inspection by ISC to determine how this facility is measuring up to correcting all its deficiencies, a meeting will be scheduled with RIOC officials.

New Public Library – Outside design work is completed. Design of the interior is underway. Estimated opening of the new library is still sometime during 2018.

Boy Scouts – ISC has been told that the Youth Center is working on re‐establishing a troop on RI. ISC’s project will remain “on hold” pending a discussion with the Youth Center on how the Boy Scout program will proceed.

Management of the RI Garden Club – ISC voted to deactivate this issue.

Two new issues were adopted:

Post Office Customer Service – Many residents have complained that customer service has deteriorated since two long‐ term counter clerks retired. ISC is meeting with the Post Office Supervisor to assess how this situation can be corrected

Enhanced Services at the Senior Center – There are a range of services that could be provided to the Senior Center by various NYC agencies. ISC will investigate what services are available to the Senior Center that can enhance its programs and activities.

Respectfully Submitted, Aaron Hamburger, ISC Chair

Roosevelt Island Post Office Saved - Will Not Be Closed Down Reports Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney

Image of August 18 2011 Roosevelt Island Post Office Protest Rally (Congresswoman Maloney at Podium)

Received the following statement from Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office:

SPECIAL DELIVERY FOR THE HOLIDAYS: REP. MALONEY ANNOUNCES ROOSEVELT ISLAND POST OFFICE TO REMAIN OPEN

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney today announced that the New York District of the United States Postal Service (USPS) has removed the Roosevelt Island Station post office from the Postal Service’s discontinuance list.  She received the notice today from the USPS’ headquarters in Washington, DC, which wrote to her office, “The New York District has removed the Roosevelt Island Station from the Post Office discontinuance list.  After careful evaluation of the data, it was determined that it would not be feasible to close the office at this time.”

This summer, the USPS revealed that it was studying the possibility of closing Roosevelt Island Station and moving the services provided to postal customers on the Island to other post offices. Islanders responded to the possible closure with an outpouring of support.  All of the local elected officials representing Roosevelt Island – Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, NYS Senator José Serrano, NYS Assembly Member Micah Kellner, and City Council Member Jessica Lappin – issued a letter opposing the closure (see below), and thousands of residents signed petitions which Congresswoman Maloney delivered to the Postmaster. 

“Roosevelt Island’s residents, businesses, and community and government leaders knew all along that Roosevelt Island Station provides critical services to the growing community on the Island, but we had to send that message special delivery to the Postal Service.  This summer, USPS officials began making a list – but thankfully, they checked it twice, and took Roosevelt Island Station off the chopping block!” said Congresswoman Maloney.

“I thank the Postal Service for hearing our concerns and keeping this important local institution of the federal government open for business.  Above all, I’d like to thank the countless residents and business owners of Roosevelt Island who organized effectively and outspokenly in the finest tradition of the Island. This win is a tribute to them and the entire community.”

More information on threat of Roosevelt Island Post Office closing and protests at previous posts.

UPDATE 7 PM - Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Leslie Torres adds:

I was very happy to learn that Congresswoman Maloney was able to persuade the United States Postal Service (USPS) to keep the Roosevelt Island Station post office open and remove the site from the discontinuance list.  The post office represents a key Island service, especially for the elderly and disabled residents that use the station for their everyday postal needs.

Queens Post Office Saved From Closing Says Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney But Still No Word On Roosevelt Island Post Office Status

Image From Queens Chronicle (Ms Maloney at Podium

According to the Queens Chronicle:

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan and Queens), state Sen. Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria), Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) and a representative of Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) announced Wednesday that the Grand Station post office in Astoria will not be closed.

The United States Postal Service had the post office on its list of potential closings, but the elected officials responded after hearing an outpouring of concerns by residents. Maloney delivered a petition with over 1,000 signatures to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.

“Because of the community and the hard work of the elected officials, we have kept this post office open,” Maloney said....

Click here for the entire Queens Chronicle article.

Congresswoman Maloney's office reports that the status of the Queens Post Office is unrelated to whether the Roosevelt Island Post Office will be closed or remain open and that the US Post Office advises Ms. Maloney's office that no NY County Post Office on the Study list for closure has been removed from the list yet including the Roosevelt Island Post Office.

During last night's Main Street Retail Town Hall Meeting, Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz stated that 2000 signatures have been collected so far on RIRA's petition to keep the Roosevelt Island Post office open.

You can still sign the online petition to keep Roosevelt Island's Post office open. Here's the link. There may also be petitions available in your building lobby or just contact RIRA.

More information on the possible closing of the Roosevelt Island Post Office available from previous post.

Roosevelt Island Post Office Still Being Considered For Possible Closing - Report Last Week Was Wrong - I Apologize For Incorrect Conclusion

Image of Congresswoman Maloney Exiting Roosevelt Island Post Office

I reported last Thursday that the Roosevelt Island Post Office was no longer being considered by the US Postal Service for closure based upon this CNN article and announcement from the USPS on possible facilities to be closed.

I asked Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office to confirm that the Roosevelt Island Post office was no longer in danger of being closed. Today I learned that my previous post was incorrect.

Responding to my inquiry, Congresswoman Maloney reports:

The USPS announcement last week involved processing facilities being considered for possible closure did not affect or relate to the previous announcement about postal stations being considered for closure.  Regrettably, there is no new information regarding the Postal Service’s review of post offices like the one on Roosevelt Island; I am continuing to advocate forcefully for Roosevelt Island Station to remain open.

Roosevelt Island Post Office Saved, Is Not Among Those Locations Now Being Studied For Closing - Good Job By Protesting Residents and Elected Officials In Keeping Roosevelt Island Post Office Open - Update Roosevelt Island Post Office Not Removed From Study List

Image of Roosevelt Island Residents at Save Our Post Office Protest Rally August 18

Reported last month on the possibility of the Roosevelt Island Post Office being among those slated for possible closing and the protest by Roosevelt Island residents and elected officials to prevent this from happening.

RIOC President Leslie Torres, State Senator Jose Serrano, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, RIRA President Matt Katz, Assemblyman Micah Kellner and NYC Councilwoman Jessica Lappin

A few minutes ago, I received a tip from resident Susan Marcus that:

According to a list on CNN.com, RI post office is no longer on the hit list.

Here's the CNN report together with the list of 250 possible Post Office facilities to be closed and thankfully, the Roosevelt Island Post Office is not on that list. The list does include one Brooklyn and one Queens (Flushing) Post Office facility being studies for closure.

According to the US Postal Service:

 Faced with a massive nationwide infrastructure that is no longer financially sustainable, the U.S. Postal Service today proposed sweeping changes designed to save the organization up to $3 billion a year by cutting its network of processing facilities by over half and adjusting service standards.

Proposals under consideration include studying nearly 250 processing facilities for possible consolidation or closure, reducing mail processing equipment by as much as 50 percent, dramatically decreasing the nationwide transportation network, adjusting the workforce size by as many as 35,000 positions, and revising service standards for First-Class Mail.

“We are forced to face a new reality today,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “First-Class Mail supports the organization and drives network requirements. With the dramatic decline in mail volume and the resulting excess capacity, maintaining a vast national infrastructure is no longer realistic. Since 2006, we have closed 186 facilities, removed more than 1,500 pieces of mail processing equipment, decreased employee complement by more than 110,000 through attrition and reduced costs by $12 billion.”...

Good job by the residents and Roosevelt Island elected officials, led by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, in making sure the Roosevelt Island Post Office remained open.

Image of Congresswoman Maloney Exiting Roosevelt Island Post Office

UPDATE 5 PM - I may have been wrong/premature in declaring the Roosevelt Island Post Office saved from closing due to this release from the Post Office which refers to:

250 processing facilities and related "network transportation,"

That list may be different from the list for Post Offices closing. Sorry for the confusion and I am checking to see how the latest list from the Post Office effects the Roosevelt Island Post office.

UPDATE 7/19 - From Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney:

The USPS announcement last week involved processing facilities being considered for possible closure and did not affect or relate to the previous announcement about postal stations being considered for closure.  Regrettably, there is no new information regarding the Postal Service’s review of post offices like the one on Roosevelt Island; I am continuing to advocate forcefully for Roosevelt Island Station to remain open.

Rally To Protest Possible Closing of Roosevelt Island Post Office Held Earlier Today - Swimming Or Kayaking To Another Post Office Not An Option Say Congresswoman Maloney and Assembly Member Kellner

Image of Roosevelt Island Post Office Conducting Business As Usual Today

As reported in previous posts, the Roosevelt Island Post Office is one of over three thousand nationwide Post Offices that are being considered for possible closing in the future. This afternoon, Roosevelt Island residents and elected officials including Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jose Serrano, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin and Postal Union officials staged a protest rally in front of the Roosevelt Island Post Office.

Image of today's Roosevelt Island Post Office Protest Rally

Here's what happened.

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Post Office Rally Part 1

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Post Office Rally Part 2

You Tube Video of Roosevelt Island Protest Rally Part 3

Congresswoman Maloney reported that over 2 thousand signatures have been obtained on petitions protesting the possible closing of the Roosevelt Island Post Office. If you wish to keep the Roosevelt Island Post Office open and have not signed the petition yet, please do so. Copies of the petition may be available in your building lobby. If not, Roosevelt Island resident Jonathan Kalkin placed the petition online and you can sign it here. From Mr. Kalkin:

Hey Everyone,

As you know the Roosevelt Island Post Office may be closing. I have been going out getting paper signatures with many of you, but I thought it would be good to make an online version of the same petition to distribute to everyone as well. Please sign the petition, email the link to your friends/buildings email lists,  post the petition link to FACEBOOK and TWITTER as well. We need to get a lot of signatures.

Here is the link to the petition, Sign and Pass on!

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Leslie Torres announced during the protest rally that petitions will be made available at the RIOC offices (591 Main Street) as well.

As concerned Roosevelt Island residents said today - SAVE OUR POST OFFICE!!!!

UPDATE 6 PM - Mr. Kalkin and Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz urge Roosevelt Islanders to sign the petition to save Roosevelt Island Post Office.

NYC City Council Member Jessica Lappin issued the following statement regarding today's rally:

Our message today is signed, sealed and delivered—save Roosevelt Island’s post office. The Postal Service needs to look beyond the distance on a map, at the unique needs of this community

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office sends the following statement too:

Today, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, State Senator José M. Serrano, Assembly Member Micah Kellner, City Council Member Jessica Lappin, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President Leslie Torres, Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Matthew Katz, Chuck Zlatkin of the American Postal Workers Union, and Roosevelt Island community leaders and residents rallied outside the Roosevelt Island Station to urge the United States Postal Service to keep open the only post office located on Roosevelt Island.  Maloney and her fellow elected officials and community members have collected more than 1,600 signatures from Roosevelt Islanders who want to keep their post office open for business, and plan on delivering the petitions to the Postal Service later this week.

At today’s event, Maloney also urged Islanders to reach out to the Postal Service directly, and issued the following list of actions people can take to save Roosevelt Island Station:

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE YOUR POST OFFICE

□       Sign a petition, or create one that your neighbors and friends can sign, urging the Postal Service to keep Roosevelt Island Station open. 

Petitions can be sent to:

Mr. Patrick Donahoe

U.S. Postmaster General

475 L’Enfant Plaza West, SW

Washington, DC 20260

□       Write a letter to Postmaster Donahoe (at the address above);

Call the Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 (Open Monday to Saturday); or

            Click here to e-mail the Postal Service.

□       Contact the USPS via the methods above and request a public hearing, so that USPS officials can hear your views in person.

In July, the Postal Service announced that it was studying the possibility of closing Roosevelt Island Station and 3,652 other post offices nationwide. The USPS placed Roosevelt Island Station on its list of potential closures because Roosevelt Island Station had less than $600,000 in revenue last year, and there are more than 15 alternate postal “access points” within a ten-mile radius. However, as Maloney and others argued today, Roosevelt Island is home to many seniors and persons with disabilities who could not walk to the next-nearest post office nearly a mile-and-a-half away in Queens, and the only other postal “access point” on the Island itself is a Duane Reade that sells stamps – hardly a substitute for a full post office. A final decision on which post offices will be closed is expected later this year.

Earlier this month, Maloney and her fellow elected officials wrote to U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe urging him to keep Roosevelt Island Station open, and requesting that USPS hold a public hearing on the potential closure so affected New Yorkers could express their views. A copy of that letter follows.

“As the name suggests, Roosevelt Island is an island. The post office has identified alternate post offices in a ten-mile radius – but other than a Duane Reade that sells stamps, all the other alternatives are located across the East River, a swift-moving body of water. While I love the people of Roosevelt Island, they can’t walk on water, so they won’t be able to walk to the next-closest branch,” said Maloney.

“Roosevelt Island Station serves residents of a community with many senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and Section 8 recipients. The island was specifically designed to be virtually car-free and, indeed, very few residents of this community own cars. Almost all postal customers using Roosevelt Island Station walk there – or use wheelchairs,” Maloney added. “So, today, we are asking to Postal Service to look at the needs of this neighborhood, the nature of the customer base here on Roosevelt Island, and the long distances people will have to travel by foot to reach the nearest alternate postal facility – and conclude, as we have, that this vital community post office must remain open for business. Save our post office!”

"Access to a post office is a right that most New Yorkers take for granted, and it is inconceivable that such a right might now be taken away from the people who live on Roosevelt Island. I am proud to join with Rep. Carolyn Maloney and many other elected officials, community leaders and residents today in urging the United States Postal Service to keep open the only such office serving this important community. Forcing residents to walk one and a half miles to the next nearest post office, in Queens, is no solution at all -- not for seniors, not for persons with disabilities, or anyone else who lives on Roosevelt Island,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.

State Senator José M. Serrano said, “Closing the only post office on Roosevelt Island simply does not make sense. For the most vulnerable Island residents, traveling to Astoria or Manhattan to drop off mail is clearly not an option. I urge the United States Postal Service to ensure that the Roosevelt Island Post Office remain open for business, as its closure would deeply inconvenience all those living and working on the island.”

“Under this plan the US Postal Service literally expects Roosevelt Islanders to walk on water to get their mail,” said Assembly Member Kellner. “But Islanders shouldn’t need a miracle to keep this post office open.”

"Our message is signed, sealed and delivered -- keep Roosevelt Island Station open," said Council Member Jessica Lappin.

"Roosevelt Island is a small town community that relies on the services of the USPS every day," said Leslie Torres, President of the Roosevelt Island Corporation. "Closing the only station on the island will create an incredible hardship especially on the elderly and disabled residents that use the station for their everyday postal needs."

“The Roosevelt Island Post Office serves a special population in a planned community that includes a significant number of low-income residents, seniors and the disabled, who should not have to take public transportation to visit a post office. In addition, we host an international population of diplomats, United Nations and foreign mission workers with specialized postal needs requiring full post office services. We can’t walk to the next nearest station; we are an island surrounded by water. Swimming for stamps is not an option,” said Matthew Katz, President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association.

Below is the letter written by Roosevelt Island elected officials to the Postmaster General.
Click Here For More

COALITION OF ELECTED OFFICIALS OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NY

c/o Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney

1651 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10128

August 12, 2011

Mr. Patrick R. Donahoe

Postmaster General

US Postal Service

475 L’Enfant Plaza West, SW

Washington, DC 20260

Dear Mr. Donahoe:

We write to you as elected officials representing constituents using the Roosevelt Island Station Post Office located at 694 Main Street, New York, NY 10044. It is our understanding that the United States Postal Service (USPS) will begin a study for potential consolidation (closure) of Roosevelt Island Station. Closing this facility would severely burden residents living in the area who rely on it for their daily needs.

Roosevelt Island Station is the only postal facility located on Roosevelt Island, which is surrounded on all sides by the East River, a swift-moving body of water. The island is connected to Manhattan by subway and tram, and to Queens by a vehicular and pedestrian bridge. It serves residents of a community with many senior citizens, persons with disabilities and Section 8 recipients. Unlike most parts of the country, a significant number of residents of this community do not own cars, and almost all postal customers using Roosevelt Island Station walk there.

To reach an alternative post office, residents would have to take a subway or a tram to Manhattan, or walk a mile and a half into Queens. For Islanders, a trip to the post office would take at least a half an hour each way if they choose to go by subway or tram, or more than 45 minutes each way if they choose to walk. For the significant number of seniors and disabled people living on the island, a trip to the post office would become impracticable. In evaluating the efficacy of closing this facility, we hope that you will look at the unique conditions on Roosevelt Island. Simply measuring a distance on a map tells you very little about the ease or difficulty of reaching the destination.

We have heard the suggestion that many postal services can be accessed by computer. The population around Roosevelt Island Station includes large numbers of senior citizens and economically disadvantaged person who do not have computers and therefore do not use email or pay bills online.

We believe that the USPS would lose a significant amount of revenue if it were to close Roosevelt Island Station. Although Roosevelt Island itself is similar to small towns in the number of retail outlets, the island is part of a large urban area with many alternative providers. There is no guarantee that Roosevelt Island Station customers will simply transfer their business to another USPS outlet. Federal Express, United Parcel Service, DHL, and similar private mail or package delivery service do pick up. Further, customers wishing to purchase a postal order can easily get a money order through the local bank.

We hope that you will look at the realities of this neighborhood, the nature of Roosevelt Island Station’s customer base and the long distance people will have to travel to reach a different post office. For all of the foregoing reasons, we urge you to keep Roosevelt Island Station open. We would like to meet with you, or the District Manager/Postmaster of the New York District, William J. Schnaars, to discuss these concerns further. Additionally, we hope that you will hold a public hearing to allow our constituents to express their views to you.

Sincerely,

CAROLYN B. MALONEY
Member of Congress

Scott STRINGER
Borough President Manhattan

Jose Serrano
State Senator

Micah Kellner
Member of Assembly

Jessica Lappin
City Council Member

Rally To Save Roosevelt Island Post Office From Possible Closing Thursday August 18 At Noon With Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Other Roosevelt Islanders

Image of Roosevelt Island Post Office

As reported in this previous post, the Roosevelt Island Post Office is one 3700 Post Offices being considered for closing by the US Postal Service.

Tomorrow at noon come join Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and other Roosevelt Islanders at the Post Office (694 Main Street) to urge that Roosevelt Island's only Post Office remain open.

You can also show your support for keeping the Roosevelt Island Post Office open by signing this online petition.

Roosevelt Island Post Office Among Those Being Considered For Closing

Image of Roosevelt Island Post Office

Roosevelt Island 360 share this link to a Bloomberg article reporting:

The U.S. Postal Service, which projects it will reach its $15 billion borrowing cap by the end of September, wants to make it easier to close some of its 31,871 post offices for economic reasons.

A change proposed by the agency, which has lost money for five consecutive quarters, would allow post offices to be considered for closing for reasons including “insufficient customer demand” demonstrated by declining mail volume, revenue or local population trends, according to a notice published today in the Federal Register....

According to the US Postal Service:

As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices — the largest retail network in the country — diminishes. To that end, the U.S. Postal Service announced today that it will be taking the next step in right-sizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs. As part of this effort, the Postal Service also introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nation.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

For communities currently without a postal retail office and for communities affected by these retail optimization efforts, the Postal Service introduced the Village Post Office as a potential replacement option. Village Post Offices would be operated by local businesses, such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers, and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging....

The Roosevelt Island Post Office is listed as one of those being considered for closing.

CNN adds:

The list released Tuesday has 3,653 facilities named:
-- Some 3,061 post offices with less than $27,500 in annual revenue, or 2 hours of workload daily
-- 385 post offices with less than $600,000 in annual revenue, and 5 or more postal service locations, such as stamp kiosks, within two miles.
-- 188 post offices with less than $1 million in annual revenue, and 5 or more postal service locations within 0.5 mile.
-- 19 offices currently suspended.

If the Roosevelt Island Post Office closes, I believe the closest Post Offices will be at Broadway/ 21st Street in Astoria or Third Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan.

UPDATE 3 PM - According to the Associated Press:

... Most of the offices that face review are in rural areas and have low volumes of business. As many as 3,000 post offices have only two hours of business a day even though they are open longer, said postal vice president Dean Granholm.

Coming under review doesn't necessarily mean an office will close. The post office announced in January it was reviewing 1,400 offices for closing. So far 280 have been closed and 200 have finished the review process and will remain open.

Once an office is selected for a review, people served by that office will have 60 days to file their comments. If an office is to be closed, they will be able to appeal to the independent Postal Regulatory Commission....

Assembly Member Micah Kellner adds:

This is a very discouraging rumor. Obviously, Roosevelt Islanders need their own Post Office -- going to Queens or Manhattan is just not feasible. I will work with the community and other elected officials to ensure the Post Office remains open.

UPDATE 6:15 PM - Received the following statement from Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney:

Roosevelt Island is a unique place in our great city that has many magical qualities -- but since Islanders can’t walk on water, it is imperative that the USPS maintain services at Roosevelt Island Station. It’s an important part of the Roosevelt Island community; without it, Islanders would not have access to the full array of postal services without traveling long distances across the swift-loving body of water that is the East River.  Closure of Roosevelt Island Station is particularly ill-conceived given the high numbers of persons with disabilities and of seniors living on the Island, who depend upon the Island postal facility day in and day out.

That said, it is critical that Roosevelt Island residents make sure their voices are heard by the United States Postal Service on this important question.  In the coming months, I will be joining with other government and civic leaders to alert Islanders about the potential threat to their post office, and to encourage them to respond to surveys by the USPS and others measuring the degree of support the local community is providing to Roosevelt Island Station.

Ms. Maloney's office also sent the following background information

Congresswoman Maloney helped lead the successful efforts in 2009 to prevent the closure of two other post offices in New York’s 14^th Congressional District that had been placed on a list of USPS facilities to be considered for closure: Pitt Station on the Lower East Side, and Cherokee Station in Yorkville.  At that time, the USPS had suggested that Upper East Siders using Cherokee Station might substitute Roosevelt Island Station for their everyday postal needs – a suggestion that made so little sense to anyone that it was deemed laughable.  Asking Roosevelt Islanders to substitute post offices in Manhattan or Queens for Roosevelt Island Station is an equally ill-conceived scheme, and Congresswoman Maloney intends to join with other elected officials in fighting any proposed closure of Roosevelt Island Station to the hilt.

State Senator Jose Serrano issued this statement:

If the Roosevelt Island Post Office is, indeed, being considered for closure, it is a truly disheartening prospect. For many Roosevelt Island residents, traveling  to Astoria or Manhattan to go to the Post Office is simply not an option. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure the Roosevelt Island Post Office remains open for business, and that the residents of the Island are not deeply inconvenienced by its closure.

 And NYC Council Member Jessica Lappin adds:

Roosevelt Island is just that – an island.  As such, it needs its own Post Office on Main Street.  I will work with Congresswoman Maloney to keep this critical branch open.

UPDATE 8/17 - Here is an online petition to save the Roosevelt Island Post Office. There are paper petitions available at some Roosevelt Island building lobbies. Ask your concierge.