CHICAGO IL — Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow seems to be the theme song for most of Illinois at the moment, so the U.S. Postal Service is asking our customers to help our letter carriers deliver your holiday mail safely by clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, stairs and mailboxes. 

“Snow and ice make delivery dangerous and slow,” said Tim Norman, USPS Strategic Communications.  “Maintaining a clear path to the mail box — including steps, porches, walkways and street approaches – will help letter carriers maintain consistent delivery service, and help them get those letters and packages delivered on time.” 

Customers receiving door delivery should make sure their sidewalks, steps and porches are clear. Customers receiving curbside delivery should remove snow piles left by snow plows to keep access to their mailboxes clear for letter carriers.

Delivery service may be delayed or curtailed whenever streets or walkways present hazardous conditions for letter carriers or when snow is plowed against mailboxes. “The Postal Service curtails delivery only after careful consideration, and only as a last resort,” said Norman. “Any curtailed mail is attempted the next delivery day.  We appreciate our customers efforts to keep snow and ice cleared.”

Blue collection boxes also need to be kept clear for our customers to deposit their mail and for the Postal Service to collect the mail for delivery.  Residents and businesses with collection boxes near their property are asked to keep them clear of snow and ice.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

###