Our elderly parents, both with medical disabilities, notes from doctors, and one a veteran are forced to risk their lives daily crossing a street with a 55 mph speed limit just to retrieve their mail. The country road they live on often have people driving faster than the posted speed limit.  This issue is deeply personal as our grandmother was killed 19 years ago while crossing this very street getting the mail. Despite these evident risks and pleas for change, the Canandaigua postal service has refused to move their mailbox.  We started this request in July 2023 and have been denied repeatedly. We have reached out to the town, DOT and the Sheriff’s department in attempts to slow the traffic down.  New York State has a policy that says If you are, or know of, an elderly person or a disabled person who has to cross the road to get to their mail box, you can get the mailbox moved so the resident won't have to cross the road to get to their mail.  The mail delivery vehicle must be able to turn around in your driveway and not back out on the street. (This is not a problem).  The resident needs to contact their personal care provider to get a note stating the reason why it is dangerous for them to cross the road.  (This has been done.) The documentation is  taken to your local post office, and they will assess your driveway. (This has been done.) The post office will allow the mailbox to be moved to the same side of the road so the elderly or disabled person won't have to cross the road any longer. (Canandaigua post office has refused to allow the move.) My parents have notes from the doctors, have no problem with the carrier turning around in the driveway, yet the postmaster in  Canandaigua, NY still refuses the mailbox to be moved. 

The danger posed by this situation cannot be overstated. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2018 alone, there were 6,283 pedestrian fatalities in traffic crashes across the United States - that's one death every 84 minutes. The risk is even higher for older adults; pedestrians aged 65 and older accounted for 20% of all pedestrian deaths and an estimated 10% of all pedestrians injured in that year.

Our family believes it's time take action against the post office on this matter and make this statue a law. We're calling on the postal service officials to relocate the mailbox to the other side of the street to ensure the safety of its residents - particularly those who are elderly or have mobility issues.

Please sign this petition if you believe in prioritizing safety over convenience and support us in making a necessary change that could prevent future accidents or tragedies from occurring again.

The image is my parent’s driveway and the highway they have to cross daily to get their mail.