The U.S. Postal Service has been losing the battle for market share with e-mail, Federal Express, and United Parcel Service for years. As expenses have increased income has not kept pace.
As an experiment in providing new and innovative services at a low cost the Powell post office has begun training pigeons to replace standard mail carriers for all standard letter sized packages.
It is estimated that standard mail will be shipped for less than $.25 per piece, but delivery times will vary greatly dependant upon distance to be traveled by said pigeons.
If this project is met with success it will be rolled out through the entire state of Tennessee in the near future. Scientists in Oak Ridge are also beta-testing a carrying case that will allow two pigeons working in tandem to transport larger packages (assuming the proper wing velocity can be maintained).
Representatives from the postal service could not be reached to confirm the number of human mail carriers to be replaced by this new program.