Mailbox Improvement Week
Each year, the United States Postal Service™ (USPS) designates the third full week of May as Mailbox Improvement Week to encourage customers to examine the appearance of their mailboxes and make improvements as necessary. Neat, attractive mailboxes make a significant contribution to the appearance of the homes and streets in suburban areas.
Mailbox Improvement Week 2024, May 21st through May 27th, calls attention to the need for providing mailboxes that are:
- Approved by the Postmaster General.
- Designed to protect the mail from weather.
- Safe to use.
- Conveniently located.
- Neat in appearance.
Mailboxes that meet these five important requirements help delivery and collection operations and improve service to the entire route.
Customers must remove obstructions, including vehicles, trash cans, and snow, that impede safe and efficient delivery.
Mail carriers must have access to the mailbox without leaving the vehicle.
Mailbox supports are important also.
Posts should be neat and adequate in strength and size. The ideal support is an assembly that bends or falls away when struck by a vehicle. Heavy metal posts and concrete posts are potentially dangerous supports.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has determined that wooden mailbox supports should be no larger than 4 inches by 4 inches, or a 2-inch diameter standard steel or aluminum pipe, and buried no more than 24 inches, and should safely break away if struck by a vehicle. According to FHWA, the mailbox must also be securely attached to its post to prevent separation if struck.
Kimberley North Improvement Association encourages homeowners to inspect their mailboxes for:
- Wobbly, unstable, or leaning posts
- Sharp edges, broken plastic, broken doors
- Rusting metal, peeling paint
- Improper height or distance from the road (see illustration)
- House numbers missing
Improving your mailbox is one of those small things that benefits everyone. It can make your home more appealing and Kimberley North an attractive place to live.