People who live in Bexley, Columbus and Dublin will see changes in their mail delivery as the United States Postal Service adjusts several of its routes.
Customers might notice changes in the time their mail is delivered, and some areas will have new carriers, the postal service announced last week.
The changes are being made as part of a national effort to re-evaluate delivery routes to increase efficiency.
"In order to meet our office's service obligations and maintain operational efficiencies, we periodically review our delivery operations," Columbus district manager Joshua Colin said in a press release. "This review was even more critical in today's economic environment as we work to keep the postal service financially stable."
The affected areas around Columbus, by zip code, include Dublin (43016), Clintonville (43202), German Village (43206), Bexley (43209), Whitehall (43213), Beechwold (43214), the Port Columbus-area (43219), Northwest (43220), Northeast (43231) and Eastland (43232).
A majority of the adjustments were expected to take place beginning this week, while the Bexley, Clintonville and Whitehall areas will be affected starting next week.
Kathy Lucas, a spokeswoman for the postal service in Columbus, said the changes correspond to a decline in the number of items being mailed through the postal system.
To date, the postal service has delivered 20-billion fewer pieces of mail this year than it did in 2008, she said. Overall, the postal service expects to deliver 175-billion pieces of mail this year, down from a high of 213-billion in 2006.
Lucas said items with first-class postage have declined the most, reaching a level not seen since 1964.
"It's like your typical letter you send to your grandma, a birthday card, a bill," Lucas said. "Online bill paying is really hurting us."
This is the second consecutive year the postal service has re-evaluated its routes, Lucas said. The postal service did periodic reviews prior to this, such as when various parts of the delivery process became automated.
"It just makes sense that if I only have half as much mail as I used to, it's not going to take me as long (to deliver the mail)," she said.
The changes mean that some carriers will have longer routes.
"The time of day customers receive their mail could change -- it could be earlier or later -- but the delivery time should become consistent soon after the changes are made," Lucas said.