WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today received commitments from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to improve mail delivery and service throughout North Dakota.

These commitments are in response to a meeting last week between Heitkamp and U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, after Heitkamp sent USPS more than 100 stories from North Dakotans about poor mail delivery and service they have experienced.

To address issues specifically in North Dakota, USPS notified Heitkamp that:

• Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) devices will be deployed in Bismarck, Dickinson, Fargo, Minot, Watford City, and Williston. These devices make it easier for USPS employees to assist customers using handheld devices to scan and accept prepaid packages, scan package pickups, and sell stamps to individuals in line. With mPOS, lobby assistants can greet and assist many customers with simple transactions, allowing them to “swipe and go.”

• Self-Service Kiosks (SSK) will be installed in Dickinson, Watford City, and Williston to decrease wait times for customers

• USPS will increase hours at 32 Post Offices in North Dakota

“I have long said that mail delivery needs to drastically improve throughout North Dakota. While we still have a long way to go, these commitments from the Postal Service are a step in the right direction,” said Heitkamp. “After hearing from well over one hundred North Dakotans all across the state about problems they have faced with their mail, I sent those stories straight to Postmaster General Donahoe because USPS needs to understand the magnitude of these problems. I’ll continue to press the Postal Service to make sure folks throughout North Dakota have the mail delivery standards they need and deserve.”

Heitkamp previously called on North Dakotans to share their stories as part of her Fix My Mail grassroots effort if they encountered extensive delivery times or had to deal with other problems with their postal service. Heitkamp has continually presented the stories to the USPS Postmaster General and the GAO. More than 100 North Dakotans have already submitted stories to Heitkamp.

In February, Heitkamp helped advance comprehensive postal reform out of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee after the panel adopted key changes she made to the legislation that will improve mail service in rural communities throughout North Dakota.