Are you getting ready to install a new mailbox or newspaper
delivery
box along a county road? Here are some things you need to know:
The location and construction of mailboxes shall conform to the
rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service and the following
standards established by the Genesee County Road Commission. These
standards were based on A Guide for Erecting
Mailboxes on Highways, published by the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 1994.
Contact your local Post Office for instructions on the height (normally
42-46") and side of the road where your mailbox should be
located.
Location
On paved roads, the roadside face of the box
must be offset the width of the shoulder plus 8 inches.
On curbed streets, the roadside face of the box must be 8
inches from the face of the curb.
On gravel roads, the roadside face of the box must be 8 inches
from the edge of the traveled portion of the roadway.
When a mailbox is installed in the vicinity of a guardrail,
the box should be placed behind the guardrail when possible
with the face of the box even with the back of rail.
When a mailbox is located at an intersection, the box must
be a minimum of 100 feet beyond the center of the intersection
in the direction of the postal route.
Mailboxes must be constructed of sheet metal, plastic or similar
weight materials, with weight not to exceed 11 lbs.
Newspaper boxes may be mounted below the mailbox on the side
of the mailbox support.
No more than two mailboxes can be mounted on a support structure
unless the configuration has met U.S. Department of Transportation
crash test standards
Multiple installations must meet the same criteria as single
mailbox
installations.
Click the Play button to see graphic crash test evidence of
why it is important to not install more than 2 mailboxes on
a single post.
A single 4x4 inch square or 4 inch diameter wooden post, or
light gage pipe with strength no greater than 2 inch standard
steel pipe must be embedded no more than 24 inches in the ground.
The mailbox and its support will be considered hazardous to
motorists
when the support exceeds the described structural limitations.
Mailbox
supports that exceed these criteria, such as brick, concrete,
steel and
wood pillars are not permitted.
Mailboxes with improper specifications or locations in the
right-of-way will be liable for damages.
Click the Play button to see graphic crash test evidence of
why it is important to follow structural specifications.
Any mailbox that is in violation of these Regulations shall be
immediately removed by the owner upon notification by the Road Commission.
If the owner has not removed the mailbox, the Road Commission in
accordance with M.S.A. 9.251 will issue the owner an Encroachment
Removal Order, whereupon the owner will be granted 30 days to remove
the unacceptable mailbox. Thereafter, the mailbox will be removed
by the Road Commission on the owner's expense.
For damages caused by Genesee County Road Commission snow removal
operations, a reimbursement to the property owner shall be made
in the amount not to exceed $20.00.
Recommended Policy on Mailbox Repairs
It has been the practice of the Genesee County Road Commission
to replace all mailboxes damaged by snow or by our plows whenever
we are made aware of the problem. The replacement consists of a
standard mailbox and a recycled sign post and is installed by our
own crews.
On occasion, residents replace the box and post, often with some
fancy box or post that can be quite expensive and ask us for reimbursement
of the whole amount.
So please accept our current practice as stated above, and add
the following:
When a mailbox damage claim is reported to the Road Commission
when the damage occurs and the Road Commission does not get it replaced
prior to the homeowner replacing it, that the Road Commission pay
a flat fee of $20.00
It is the intent of this policy that the Manager-Director of the
Genesee County Road Commission will deal with the public fairly,
when handling replacement/repair of mailboxes which may have been
damaged by Road Commission vehicles.
