USPS Refuses to Release Details or Timeline on Plan to Implement Replacements
In an altogether unsurprising turn of events the United States Postal Service of the Bronx has yet to rectify the not-so-recent decision to remove a large number of mailboxes from the Bronx. The vast majority of removed mailboxes have yet to be replaced. These mailboxes were removed well over a month ago at the beginning of the 2016 holiday season in an effort by the USPS to address fishing problems that have been plaguing the area. Currently, only a few select locations have seen their mailboxes replaced and the office of Assemblyman Dinowitz, along with the offices of several other local elected officials, continue to receive regular calls from constituents unable to send mail.
“Removing the mailboxes without informing anyone was problem enough, but the USPS has compounded this problem by maintaining an attitude of indifference towards elected officials attempting to get more information and to the public as a whole. The USPS has refused to respond to basic questions, let alone a plan or timeline for the implementation of new or retrofitted mailboxes, and it has been over a month since this happened,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “This is a situation that could have been managed had my office and other elected officials been contacted and informed this would be happening. We could have worked together to make sure people could still get their mail out while these mailboxes were being replaced. Sadly, the USPS decided it was not important to keep us in the loop, nor do they seem to think this is important enough issue to address in a timely fashion.“
Suggestions made by local elected officials that the USPS implement temporary collection stations in areas with no mailboxes have gone unheeded.
In 2017, it can be easy to forget how heavily many of us still rely on mail just to function normally. Rent checks, money orders, and bills, are all still largely sent through the mail by many, particularly by seniors. While it can often be a simple matter for many of us to take the time to travel to the post office, the elderly, the disabled or the sick who have difficulty traveling cannot always do so.
