Barry County Road Commission
Mailbox Policy & Specifications
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to allow for the accommodation of mailboxes and paper delivery boxes within the Right of Ways under the jurisdiction of the Board of County Road Commissioners of Barry County, MI. The purpose of the specifications listed herein is to aid in providing a reasonably safe transportation system for the motoring public.
Policy Statement
It is the policy of the Board of County Road Commissioners of Barry County (BCRC) to require mailboxes and newspaper delivery boxes located within the Right of Way to be constructed in a manner which does not substantially interfere with the safety of the motoring public or the operation and maintenance of the county road system. A mailbox installation that does not conform to the provisions of this policy will be considered an unauthorized encroachment on the Right of Way and removal shall be administered in accordance with the State of Michigan Act 368, Public Acts of 1925, as amended. This policy is consistent with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service.
Mailbox Location
Mailbox location shall be determined by the U.S. Postal Service and all other delivery boxes should comply by placing their boxes on the same side of the road. The bottom of the box shall be set at an elevation determined by the U.S. Postal service, usually between 42 and 48 inches above the road surface. The roadside face of the mailbox shall be a minimum of 8 inches from the outside edge of the road shoulder. No mailboxes shall be placed within 100 feet of the intersection of two roads, public or private.
EXCEPTION:
The roadside face of the mailbox may be placed no closer than directly above the back of curb on roads that have concrete or asphalt curbs.
Structure and Composition
Mailboxes shall be of light steel, metal or plastic construction conforming to the requirements of the U.S. Postal Service. Newspaper boxes shall be of standard light metal or plastic construction specifically constructed for newspaper delivery.
No more than two mailboxes may be mounted on a support structure unless the support structure and mailbox arrangement meet the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. However lightweight newspaper boxes may be mounted below the mailbox on the side of the support. Mailbox supports shall not be set in concrete unless the support design is shown to be safe by crash tests when so installed.
A single, 4 inch X 4 inch or 4 ½ inch diameter wooden post or a metal post with a strength no greater than a standard 2 inch diameter standard strength steel pipe are permissible as supports. No support shall be embedded more than 24 inches into the ground. A metal post shall not be fitted with an anchor plate but it may have an anti-twist device that extends no more than 10 inches below the ground surface.
The post-to-box attachment details should be of sufficient strength to prevent the mailbox from separating from the post top should the installation be struck by a vehicle. AASHTO publication “A Guide for Erecting Mailboxes on Highways” (1994) documents acceptable attachment details (available from BCRC) and acceptable mailbox support assemblies.
Removal of Nonconforming or Unsafe Mailboxes
Any mailbox that is found to violate the intent of this policy shall be removed by the owner upon notification. At the discretion of the BCRC and based on the assessment of hazard to the public, the owner will be notified and granted 30 days to remove an unacceptable installation. If not removed within the specified time, the installation will be removed by the BCRC at the owner’s expense as provided by ACT 368, Public Acts of 1925 as amended.
Mailboxes Damaged by BCRC
It is the policy of the Barry County Road Commission to replace or reimburse residents $20.00 for destroyed mailboxes that were actually struck by Road Commission equipment, even though by law, the BCRC has no legal responsibility to do so. A representative of the BCRC shall inspect each site reported to the Barry County Road Commission to determine if the mailbox was actually struck by a Road Commission vehicle.
If the resident would like the box replaced, it will be replaced with a standard size U.S. Postal Service mailbox. The mailbox will be replaced when weather and other Road Commission operations permit. Otherwise the resident has the option of reimbursement.
Page Last Modified: October 24, 2007 at 8:26 am
