MACON, Ga. — Some north Macon residents are looking for answers.
Last month, the U.S. Postal Service closed its post office on Riverside Drive where many north Macon residents went to mail letters and packages.
There has been frustration with the U.S. Postal Service taking away collection boxes and post office boxes without notice, too, and some north Macon residents want to know when and where they can get new boxes.
According to a statement from the U.S. Postal Service, they said the lease for the Riverside Drive location was not renewed.
Joan Werblin has lived in north Macon for about ten years. She says her closest collection box was off of New Forsyth Road, and it was removed a month ago.
Werblin wrote us saying, that now some people in north Macon are finding it harder to get and mail their letters.
"This has become a real concern locally to us and I just feel we need some answers," Werblin said. "With fewer locations of these boxes, as they remove them for no apparent reason that they're willing to disclose, there are fewer and fewer alternatives and that's kind of a frightening kind of thing of where are these boxes going to be located."
Now, to mail a letter, Werblin says she has to drive to post office locations on Peake Road in north Macon, Rocky Creek Road in South Macon, or downtown Macon on College Street.
"Your options are getting smaller and smaller and your alternatives are less and less of where to put mail," Werblin said. "This post office box for example is right before a key-in to an apartment residence so it seems like a very odd and inconvenient location."
Now with the Christmas holiday coming up, she's concerned about the safety and timeliness of delivering mail and packages.
"Everyone seems to be affected by this and no one seems to have any answers," Werblin said. "Not even good answers, just no answers at all! With fewer locations of these boxes, as they remove them for no apparent reason that they're willing to disclose, there are fewer and fewer alternatives and that's kind of a frightening kind of thing of where are these boxes going to be located."
Five miles away from the only collections box in front of the Bristol Park apartments in North Macon, the U.S. Post Office on Peake Road did not care to comment.
We later received a statement from the U.S. Postal Service saying:
"The change in the number of collection boxes available to customers in Macon, GA is not unique. The drastic shift in Americans’ mailing habits has modified the need for blue collection boxes and prompted the Postal Service to be more strategic in its placement of these collection boxes across the country. In order for us to enhance efficiencies, the Postal Service utilizes measurements of specific collection boxes, looking at the number of envelopes (or density of mail) being collected in a given period. To help facilitate a smooth transition, the Postal Service provides a 30-day notification to customers, in advance of any changes to specific collection boxes, soliciting their feedback.
In the specific case of the Riverside Post Office, the Postal Service’s lease on the facility housing the Riverside Post Office at 2720 Riverside Dr., Ste 124, Macon, GA was not renewed. The Postal Service is continuing to actively explore viable options for another location, and customers will be notified as the process evolves. Retail and Post Office Box services for Riverside Post Office customers was shifted to the new location at 451 College St., Macon, GA 31213 effective Monday, October 2, 2023."