By John Loftus

Times Staff Writer

The U.S. Postal Service's Frankford Station is not closing, but its Adams Avenue branch might.

And the Tacony Station's Wissinoming branch might be consolidated or closed, too.

They're on a list of postal facilities that might have to go as the postal service faces up to the economic impact of its ever-decreasing volume of mail.

"We are looking at a number of ways to cuts costs and save money while maintaining service to our customers," said Cathy Yarosky, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman.

"Our financial picture is really challenging, and we have to respond very aggressively to this challenge."

Given that the postal service is projecting volume to drop off by 20 billion pieces by the end of the year, one of the places managers are hoping to find money is by closing some of the 33,000 postal facilities across the nation.

In July, the postal service released a list of more than 650 of its retail outlets that could be closed or merged with others.

More than a dozen Philadelphia facilities were on the list before it was winnowed to 413 by early September.

A few Northeast Philadelphia branches beside Adams Avenue and Wissinoming were on the original roster.

Mayfair and Somerton were being considered, too.

Now, only 821 Adams, a branch of the Frankford Station at 4410 Paul St., and 5916 Torresdale, a branch of the Tacony Station at 4620 Longshore, along with a North Philadelphia facility are the only city locations still being considered for closing or consolidation.

"But being on the list doesn't mean anything is going to happen," Yarosky said.

The postal service is doing a feasibility study, she said, "to see if we want to take any action at all."

Such a study will be completed over 15 days, she said, but no such study has been started yet in Philadelphia.

The postal service, Yarosky said, has long had procedures in place to evaluate its facilities, and she added it is not unusual for the branch or station to be looked at to analyze how it is being used.

"In general, we're looking at stations and branches that are in close proximity to one another," she said.

It's about customer access to postal services, she said.

One branch might be too close to another postal facility or to another location that provides postal services, she said.

"You can now buy stamps in grocery stores," she added.

It's not the volume of mail that is considered, but the number of retail transactions, Yarosky said.

Nationwide, those sales are off 30 percent, she said.

As e-mails go up, stamp sales go down.

"(If a facility) is not being used to full capacity, it costs us money to maintain it," she said.

When any decision to close or consolidate a branch is made, she said, customers will be notified and asked for their feedback.

Some feedback already has been sought - and acted upon.

In the late summer, Yarosky said, postal service administrators met with local managers as well as with local members of Congress or their aides to discuss the reasons for considering closing or consolidating any Philadelphia area facilities.

She characterized that meeting, which took place in Southwest Philadelphia, as "a lively session."

In a letter to the Northeast Times published Oct. 15, U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-13th dist.) said she had asked the postal service to reconsider closing the Mayfair Station because it provided "key access to commuters, students, families and especially senior citizens, many of whom do not drive and would be unable to access the next closest postal location."

The congresswoman went on to write that the USPS decided not to scratch the Mayfair facility off its list.

Reporter John Loftus can be reached at 215-354-3110 or jloftus@phillynews.com