By Suzanne Ma
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN – The Pitt Street postal station, one of just two mail centers on the Lower East Side, will not be closed after residents and politicians rallied to save it.
The United States Postal Service had considered closing the postal station, located at 185 Clinton St., in an effort to save a predicted $7 billion this fiscal year.
The next-closest station next to Pitt Street is about a half-mile walk away.
Democratic Speaker Sheldon Silver and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney collected about 1,400 signatures from residents, arguing it would be difficult for many seniors who live near Pitt Station to walk the addition half-mile.
More than 50 percent of residents at the Seward Park Co-op across the street from the postal station are more than 60 years old.
“Keeping Pitt Station open is a great victory for this community,” Maloney said in a press release. “Pitt Station is a vital resource for the many residents of this area, so much so that there are often lines out the door."
“For many New Yorkers, especially our seniors, post offices are their connection to world at large," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. "Even during these tough economic times, we owe it to our communities to find a way to keep these offices open, and I applaud the USPS for taking this action today.”
