[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 69 (Monday, April 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8587]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: April 11, 1994]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Extension of Rural Delivery Service and Elimination of Multiple
Route Service Options on Rural and Highway Contract Delivery Routes
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The proposed rule change would amend Domestic Mail Manual
Transition Book parts 156 and 157 to permit extensions of rural
delivery service to customers regardless of their proximity to the
delivery post office and eliminate duplication and commingling of
carrier and post office service responsibilities.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 11, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to the
Manager, Delivery Policies and Programs, U.S. Postal Service, room
7142, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20260-2802. Copies of all
written comments will be available for public inspection and
photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the
above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jackie Estes, (202) 268-3543.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In certain rural post offices (i.e., CAG A
through K) postal regulations presently prohibit extension of delivery
service to customers within a .25-mile radius of the post office,
unless they erect a box along the carrier's established line of travel.
Consistent with the Postal Service's policy that customers are entitled
to one form of free delivery service, customers who live within the
.25-mile radius and choose not to erect a box along the carrier's line
of travel may receive free general delivery service or, for a fee, use
post office box service.
The ``quarter-mile rule'' requires increasing numbers of customers
to go to their post offices to obtain their mail. Customers with
physical limitations and senior citizens are sometimes unable to leave
their homes or travel the distance to the post office. Although
customers can erect mailboxes along the carrier's line of travel, this
still may require some travel for the customer and lead to community
concerns about mailbox placement and added vehicle stopping on certain
roads. Additionally, conflicts between postal, personal, and/or
business schedules can sometimes limit customers' access to their mail,
in contrast to the convenience of service received by community
residents outside the prescribed radius who receive carrier delivery.
The Postal Service recognizes the customer concerns cited above
regarding the ``quarter-mile rule.'' Therefore, it proposes to
eliminate the prohibition on extensions of rural delivery service
within the .25-mile radius of non-city delivery post offices.
Extensions of service will be considered based on customer density,
distance, quality of road maintenance, and other criteria currently
applied to other requesters. Additionally, after customers' requests
for extension of rural delivery under this rule are approved, they will
no longer routinely be eligible for free general delivery service.
Consistent with the Postal Service's responsibility to provide
efficient and effective delivery and collection service, 39 U.S.C. 403,
404, the proposed rule would also permit the elimination of
unnecessary, duplicative service. Presently, in rural delivery areas
where multiple routes travel the same road, a rural or highway contract
route customer may choose the carrier and/or post office to provide
delivery; or these customers may receive delivery and collection
service from more than one carrier. This arrangement can confuse
service patterns and postal boundaries. Such duplicative service
increases postal operating expenses and can cause conflicts with
addresses assigned by cities or counties.
To avoid duplication of service and ensure efficient delivery
patterns, the Postal Service proposes to eliminate service by multiple
routes and the commingling of service areas. Where the presence of
multiple routes has caused commingled deliveries by more than one
carrier and/or post office, postal customer service and sales districts
may designate which post office will provide delivery. The
determination will reflect the affected customers' preferences, actual
municipal identity and/or geographic place names, the proximity of the
serving post office, and other service or operational factors.
Postmasters will designate a single rural or highway contract route to
provide delivery. Where new service is established or extended,
customer service and sales districts will designate which post office
will provide delivery, in accordance with current guidelines and
procedures, and postmasters will designate a single rural or highway
contract route to provide delivery.
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedures Act [5 U.S.C. 553 (b), (c)] regarding
proposed rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites
public comment on the following proposed revisions to the Domestic Mail
Manual Transition Book, which is incorporated by reference in the Code
of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 111.1.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Postal Service.
PART 111--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 3001-
3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.
2. Revise 156.22, 156.25, 156.26, and 157.32 (d) of the Domestic
Mail Manual Transition Book to read as follows:
156 RURAL SERVICE
* * * * *
156.2 Delivery Routes
* * * * *
156.22 Extensions. Requests or petitions for extensions of rural
routes should be submitted to the postmaster of the office from which
the route emanates. Form 4027 is available from the postmaster for
these requests. Extensions should ordinarily serve an average of at
least one family per mile of additional travel, including retrace.
Other factors considered include financial transactions and type and
volume of mail. Roads generally should be public, must be kept in good
condition, and be passable for vehicles year-round. If an extension is
proposed over a road not maintained by road authorities, the postmaster
must obtain and submit with Form 4027 a letter from the person
responsible for maintaining the road. The letter must state that the
road will be kept passable at all times and include the statement ``It
is understood that if the road is not properly maintained, rural
delivery service will be withdrawn.'' Rural mail delivery may be
extended to families and businesses at any post office, if such service
is requested and other requirements are met. For extensions to mobile
home, trailer, and recreational vehicle parks, see 155.251 and 155.252.
* * * * *
156.25 Multiple Routes
156.251 Existing Service. Where routes from two or more post
offices travel the same road, customer service and sales districts may
determine which office provides delivery service. Factors considered in
this determination include the affected customers' preferences, actual
municipal identity and/or geographic place names, the proximity of the
serving post office, and other service or operational factors.
Postmasters determine which route provides delivery. Delivery service
is not provided from more than one post office and/or route.
156.252 New Service. Where new service is to be established or
extended from a road traveled by carriers from two or more post
offices, customer service and sales districts must designate which post
office provides delivery, in accordance with current guidelines and
procedures. Postmasters determine which route provides delivery.
Delivery service is not provided from more than one post office and/or
route.
156.26 Highway Contract Delivery. [Delete 156.26 and renumber
156.27 as 156.26.]
157 Highway Contract Service
* * * * *
157.3 Box Delivery and Collection
* * * * *
157.32 Availability. Contract route box delivery and collection
service is provided without charge to customers who: [Add new 157.32d
as follows:]
* * * * *
d. Request delivery and collection service from the post office to
which mail is addressed. Use Form 5431. If another post office provides
delivery in the area, the customer service and sales district
determines which post office provides service. Postmasters determine
which route provides service. Delivery service is not provided from
more than one post office and/or route.
An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR 111.3 to reflect these changes
will be published if the proposal is adopted.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 94-8587 Filed 4-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P