Thanks, ADN, for exposing U.S. Postal Service Docket CP2024-72. Shipping to Alaska will move from its existing native distance-based zones 5, 6, 7 and 8 from the Lower 48, to a new zone 10. Ketchikan is roughly 600 miles from Seattle, a city pair that is currently zone 5, yet it will now be zone 10. Miami to Seattle, a shipping distance of 2,700 miles, would remain zone 8.
The higher the zone, the more expensive the postage. Alaska will be considered “offshore.”
Regarding the obscure comment process, which ADN tried to explain, it still took hours to master. As of this writing, there are six comments posted on PRC from the public that are not from public officials. Yet this directly impacts residents of Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. I have to believe there are more than six people concerned.
USPS proposals should be prominently posted at every impacted post office.
Those with comments should be able to address a letter or postcard to “Public Comment to USPS Board of Governors” care of the postmaster of their local post office. USPS is in the mail business; they should be able to figure that out. The cutoff date for comments, per the Postal Regulatory Commission, is Jan. 4.
— Brian McNeil
Fairbanks
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