AUSTIN (KXAN) — The United States Postal Service doesn't have any immediate plans to add a new east Austin location after a site on East Sixth Street closed over the summer, limiting the number of locations servicing the eastside.
The USPS' now-former location at 1914 E. Sixth St. was closed as of late August, according to contributors on Yelp. In an Austin Reddit post that trended earlier this week, commenters expressed frustrations over there no longer being any post offices serving the east side, dubbing it a "postal desert."
Currently, there are 17 USPS locations in Austin, mapped below. As said by Reddit users, no post office sites exist on the east side below U.S. Hwy. 290 East, west of Hwy. 183 and north of Lady Bird Lake. The vast majority of locations operate west of Interstate 35.
The USPS participated in a job fair Wednesday hosted by the Workforce Solutions Capital Area. The postal service was hiring for positions across departments, including full-time, part-time and seasonal workers.
Still, even with that employee demand, the USPS confirmed to KXAN no immediate plans for a new facility in east Austin. A spokesperson told KXAN that businesses interested in operating as a contract postal unit — which offers postal products and services at USPS prices — can find more information online.
“The Postal Service is proud of the important role it plays in the communities it serves through our network of Post Offices," the spokesperson said. "Currently, no information is available regarding a new facility in the east Austin area; however, the Postal Service continuously evaluates its options regarding postal facilities."
