The Throggs Neck post office has long been a staple of the community.
In 2018, however, residents in the vicinity of the station are fed up with its delivery trucks.
The Throggs Neck Merchants Association and Community Board 10 have both heard from constituents about the increasing number of trucks that continue to block businesses, driveways and even traffic.
As the community put its foot down, the post office agreed to work collaboratively on a solution to the problem.
“I spoke with the post office manager and understand the complexities they face,” said Bobby Jaen, the president of the TNMA.
“The existing pattern of where the postal trucks park has caused a lot of anguish for residents and merchants,” he continued.
This station’s overall business has increased more than 100% in the last two years the manager claims. As of May 2018, the Throggs Neck station is handling about 40 percent of Amazon’s 10465 deliveries in addition to their business with Fedex and UPS, as well as their own packages and mail deliveries, according to the station manager Fernando Sanchez.
“People are making more purchases on the internet,” said Sanchez, who began working as the manager in May. “When we get more business, we need more trucks to make the deliveries.”
Jaen and the district manager of CB 10 suggested a few parking alternatives to Sanchez.
These included moving excess trucks that do not fit in the station’s loading bay area, to park on the service road along I-95 or the open spaces next to St. Raymond’s Cemetery.
These areas have often been used by movie production crews when they film in Throggs Neck and need space to park additional vehicles.
However, since the post office is a federal service, all of their trucks have to be parked in designated areas next to the branch, according to Sanchez.
Failure to comply with those rules without getting approval first could result in punishment by the federal government or the Postal Police, which operate under a different branch of the postal service.
“The good thing is we are both trying to be more community minded with our compromise,” added Jaen on his discussion with Sanchez.
Sanchez planned to discuss a proposal to move the trucks away from the branch with higher authorities of the USPS.
In addition, he said he would reinforce ‘a good neighbor’ policy with his employees, by respecting residential driveways and avoid blocking street access.
“If I have to knock on every door in the neighborhood to explain we are trying to do better, I will do it,” stressed Sanchez on the gravity of his commitment to the community.
As of Tuesday, May 22, postal trucks were seen parking perpendicular to the sidewalk along Phillip Avenue next to the station, tightening their nightly parking formation as Sanchez promised.
He, Jaen, and CB 10 DM Matt Cruz are scheduled to meet again Tuesday, June 12 to discuss the progress being made.
“We want the community and the post office to know we are watching them,” said Cruz. “We will stay in contact until the problem is fixed.”
