[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