USPS moves to transform mail delivery in RTP
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The United States Postal Service is taking steps to start mail delivery to addresses in Research Triangle Park, months after North Carolina's congressional delegation called on the agency to do so.
Why it matters: RTP is the largest research park in the United States. It is home to 60,000 employees and nearly 400 companies, including Apple, IBM, Fidelity, Wolfspeed and Cisco, all of which make a significant contribution to North Carolina's economy.
- Businesses there, however, are forced to retrieve mail and deliveries from a single post office.
Threat level: The mailing infrastructure in RTP has cost these businesses time and money and could jeopardize their compliance with global and federal regulatory bodies, businesses have said.
Driving the news: USPS can finally transform mail delivery in RTP after a series of steps are met, Reps. Deborah Ross and Valerie Foushee said in a news release Tuesday.
Catch up quick: Ross and Foushee, along with Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, sent a letter to USPS in September asking it to address the infrastructure problems in Research Triangle Park that have been a "significant inconvenience" to residents and businesses.
- USPS responded in a letter sent last month, saying it's been working with the RTP Foundation along with tenants and outlining the steps that need to be taken to make centralized mail delivery happen.
- That will include installing cluster mailbox units and verifying addresses for tenants, along with numerous other requirements.
What they're saying: "As RTP continues to evolve, we must ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support its continued growth and success," Ross said in a statement.
- "I'm grateful that USPS is prioritizing this issue and has begun the formal process to implement centralized mail delivery service on RTP's campus. After hearing from over a hundred businesses and constituents, I'm confident that RTP will move quickly to meet USPS's requirements."