Three Philadelphia post offices to close in April

The U.S. Postal Service will close three post offices in Philadelphia as part of a nationwide cost-cutting effort, officials said Friday.

The postal stations shutting on April 22 are at 821 Adams Ave., 5916 Torresdale Ave., and 905 N. Broad St.

Officials said the agency needed to consolidate operations because of huge declines in postal usage as more people communicate and pay bills online.

In 2009, the Postal Service identified 15 locations in Philadelphia that could be closed.

After a lengthy analysis that began a year ago, the three stations were selected as the best candidates to close, agency spokeswoman Cathy Yarosky said.

No further closings are planned, she said.

The Postal Service suggests patrons use the following alternative locations: the Frankford station at 4410 Paul St., the Fairmount station at 1939 Fairmount Ave., and the Tacony station at 4620 Longshore Ave.

Customers can buy stamps and arrange for free package pickup through the service's website at www.usps.com.

The Postal Service is the largest civilian federal agency, with 650,000 employees in 32,000 facilities.