Safe Routes to School - Unsafe?

Construction of the sidewalk on 3rd Street and Gove Street is in progress and going well. Most residents are pleased with the professionalism of the work crews and have shared that they have been very accommodating.

Several days ago, the mailboxes from the sidewalk side of the streets were moved across the street into the public right of way portion of resident’s yards facing the sidewalk. Some residents were unaffected, some received between one and four mailboxes in their yard.

Most of the mailboxes were moved directly across the street without consideration of location. Some mailboxes blocked public right of way which had previously been used for parking. One mailbox was placed within a large crescent shaped mud puddle making it difficult to retrieve mail without getting wet.

Some mailboxes were placed diagonally across in different directions causing confusion for the postal worker. Some residents reported getting other residents mail. My neighbors brought me some of my mail that was delivered to them. I appreciate that.

The mailbox relocation surprised most residents. A majority of the residents thought that the move was temporary in nature and were displeased to find out that it was going to be a permanent solution.

Per my conversation with the Steilacoom Public Works department, the original sidewalk plan located the mailboxes at the rear of the new sidewalk. It was stated that the Postmaster was part of the design phase and had approved. When the local route driver discovered that he would have to leave his vehicle to reach the mailboxes the Steilacoom post office directed the city to move the boxes across the street.

Here is a list of the problems this causes:

· Safety.

o Half the residents now cross the street daily to retrieve their mail. Some are elderly and limited in movement. Some are children. Logically, when a moving object (a vehicle) crosses the path of another moving object (a pedestrian), there is a chance that the two will collide. The sidewalk was installed in order to increase the safety of our streets. By moving the mailboxes across the street the safety positives are nearly completely negated due to the increased pedestrian street crossings. The cross street pedestrian traffic is more than the number of children walking to school.

· Confusion

o With the mailboxes relocated it is more difficult for the postman to determine which house belongs to which address. Many of the homes do not have their numbers on an exterior wall.

o While the local US Postal Service route driver will most likely become accustomed to the situation, commercial carriers unfamiliar with the area will have difficulties.

· Aesthetics.

o Many residents pride themselves in the appearance of their homes and yards. Steilacoom has a long history in preserving the beauty of its neighborhoods. Placement of multiple dissimilar mailboxes into single yards brings thoughts of trailer parks to some.

The new sidewalk is five feet wide with a six inch curb. By installing typical 18 inch deep standard size mailboxes with their faces flush to the front of the curb, the sidewalk will meet the four foot Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. In addition the mailboxes will pose no risk to vehicles in the street as they will not protrude past the front of the curb.

The mailboxes are within arm’s reach of the mail carrier. The citizens are not put in the path of motor vehicles. The right mail gets to the right place. And the community maintains its pleasing atmosphere.

The neighborhood petitioned the city council to move the mailboxes to the front of the new sidewalk. The petition was delivered at the last Council Meeting.

As of two days later, the mailboxes have not been relocated and no indication of a new plan has been received by residents.

V.