Meng and Simanowitz Work to Improve Mail Delivery in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens

Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) received a letter from the U.S. Postal Service saying that it has taken action to improve mail delivery in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens.

The correspondence is in response to a letter Meng sent to U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan in March about poor mail service in the area. The Congresswoman sent the letter after several constituents complained to her and Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Queens) about mail not being delivered in an efficient and timely manner.

“Residents of Kew Gardens Hills depend heavily on their mail and they deserve reliable and quality service,” said Meng. “I thank affected constituents for raising this issue with Assemblyman Simanowitz and me so that we were able to address the problem, and I appreciate the Postal Service for taking action to fix it. I look forward to mail being delivered in a dependable and effective manner for all residents of Kew Gardens Hills.”

“Our community depends on reliable mail service for its homes and many small businesses,” said Assemblyman Simanowitz. “Working with Congresswomen Meng, we were able to come to a resolution with the Postal Service to address issues raised by our constituents. I am confident that their response will result in the efficient and dependable service our residents deserve.”

In its correspondence, the Postal Service said that a delivery and collection backlog caused by the blizzard on January 23rd has been cleared, and that operational and management changes have been implemented to address delivery problems. A new customer services manager has been assigned to the Kew Gardens Hills Post Office, and six new carriers have been permanently added to help with staffing needs. The Postal Service says that there is already an improvement in delivery performance resulting from these changes.

In addition to the blizzard backlog, the Postal Service attributed mail problems to a shortage of employees caused by inclement weather and general absences. The agency also cited delivery delays caused by substitute carriers – assigned to the area to reduce the backlog – who were unfamiliar with the routes and situations of Kew Gardens Hills customers.

The full letter that the Postal Service sent to Meng can be viewed here.

The Kew Gardens Hills Post Office – which administers and oversees postal service in the area – is located at 75-23 Main Street in Kew Gardens Hills.