Rep. Maloney Holds Town Hall Meeting on 10021 ZIP Code Split

New York, NY – On Saturday, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) held a town hall meeting at the New York Blood Center on the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to split ZIP code 10021 into three new zones.  U.S. Postal Service representatives, including Pete Fontana, USPS’s Manager of Customer Relations; Kenneth Stanley, East Side area manager; and Ronald Hart, manager of the Lenox Hill Post Office joined Maloney to answer questions from the audience and respond to community concerns.

“The 10021 ZIP code is part of this community’s identity and people rightfully have questions about the Postal Service’s changes.  When my own home switched from 10028 to 10128, it took some getting used to,” Maloney said.  “The most important thing, though, is to make sure that Upper East Siders get their mail on time.  I will continue to work with the Postal Service to ensure that the ZIP code split goes smoothly and doesn’t unduly disrupt people’s lives.”

At the town hall, Maloney distributed a list of frequently asked questions about the ZIP code split, a copy of which can be found below.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the U.S. Postal Service’s Plan to Split 10021

1. What are the borders of the new zip code? Under the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) new scheme, 10021 will be divided into three zip codes, 10065, 10021 and 10075, with the following borders from 5th Avenue to the East River:

10065: East 61st Street through East 68th Street
10021: East 69th Street through East 76th Street
10075: East 77th Street through East 80th Street

2. Why is this change necessary?  The USPS advises that they do not have adequate zip plus four add-on numbers to effectively sort mail to mail box sections in what is predominantly a high-rise environment.

3. Why is the area being divided into three zones rather than two?  Three zones will allow for future growth and will ensure that further subdividing would not be necessary in the future. The USPS advises that splitting the zip code into three zones minimizes the number of people in the community who are affected by this change while maximizing the distribution capacity of the 70th Street facility which will remain in the 10021 zip code.  It also enables the USPS to establish more carrier routes using a single carrier for each route.  This provides more stability by eliminating shared delivery areas by multiple carriers.

4. How did the USPS choose these two new zip codes?  There are a very limited number of zip codes that are available in the 100 series which provide the Manhattan identity.  65 made most sense for the southern portion since it would be serving streets in the East 60’s.

5. Will the +four designation remain the same?  Initially all plus four codes will remain the same, although the USPS advises that some plus four codes may change in the future.

6. Could we simply limit junk mail and avoid the need to split the zip code? Volume was not the driving factor in making this decision.  The need was created by the growth in the number of units in an increasingly dense high-rise community and the post office's need to direct mail effectively to a greater number of customers.

Please note that the USPS views advertising mail to be an important part of its revenue base and advises that what many of us call junk mail actually helps to keep the cost of other mail down.  Thousands of New Yorkers, including the elderly and home-bound, take advantage of advertising mail and rely on it for many of their purchases.

7. Why didn’t the Post Office use 10121?  10121 has already been assigned and is in use.

8. What happens if someone uses the old zip code – will my mail still be delivered?  For how long?  Mail addressed to the incorrect zip code will continue to be delivered indefinitely, but use of the wrong zip could cause a small delay in the receipt of mail as it will require re-direction. 
Mail addressed to the new zip code would be delivered more efficiently.

9. Is the Post Office working with utilities, cable companies and other providers to ensure that their databases change to reflect the new zip codes? Yes. Major mailers use electronic databases to ensure the accuracy of their mailing list.  This database update will go into effect nationally on July 1, 2007 reaching thousands of mailers. 

10. If I have a large database, how do I get the update?  Contact Address Management Customer Products at 1 (800) 238-3150 for assistance in making changes to large databases.

11. I have a lot of stationery with the old zip code. What should I do?  Use it up.  It would be helpful if people put a line through the 21 and inserted a 65 or 75 as appropriate so that correspondents are aware of the change, but this will not be required.

12. Will my area be getting a new post office? No.  Retail for all three zip codes will still be provided by the Lenox Hill Station on East 70th Street.  Mail delivery will continue to be supported by the Lenox Hill and FDR facilities as is currently the case.

13. Will there be a new distribution center? No.  Mail for all of Manhattan is distributed at the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center located at 341 Ninth Ave.

14. What kind of outreach is the USPS doing to advise residents of the area of the proposed changes?  USPS is sending a postcard mailing to all possible deliveries in the affected areas.  The USPS is attending meetings with community groups and has also posted signs in the lobbies of both Lenox Hill and Cherokee Post Offices.   Press releases were sent out with all of information about the changes.

15. What is Congresswoman Maloney doing?  I am working with the post office to ensure that the transition goes smoothly and that all of my constituents’ concerns are addressed.  To that end, I will be holding a town hall on May 12, 2007 at the New York Blood Center, 310 East 67th Street (bet 1st and 2nd) from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with representatives of the U.S. Postal Service.  I have also worked with local community groups to bring representatives of the U.S. Postal Service to community meetings respond to concerns.

16. Will my current Letter Carrier continue to deliver my mail? Currently there are 79 routes in the 10021 zip code; with the split, there will be 136 routes in the three zip codes. The new routes were structured to keep a maximum number of familiar carriers with the new routes; however, some residences will see new carriers.  Many routes will be shorter to reduce the need to have several letter carriers covering the same route, to increase on-time delivery and to make it more likely that one carrier will consistently be responsible for a particular route. 

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