US Postal Service Considering Closing 413 Post Offices

The Postal Service previously said it was reviewing urban and suburban branches, including about four dozen in New York City’s boroughs. The original list had about 3,600 locations, said Greg Frey, a Postal Service spokesman. The agency has almost 37,000 post offices, branches and stations.

The Postal Service, placed on a congressional investigator’s “high-risk” list, is trying to cut costs to combat the effects of the recession and a decline in mail as Americans switch to e-mail and other forms of electronic communication. The agency has said it may lose at least $7 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

Today’s list, released in a statement, includes at least 16 locations in and around New York City. No final decisions on facility closures will be made until after Oct. 2, the Postal Service said.