IT’S BACK! After 7 months, West Seattle Junction post office has a drive-up/ride-up mailbox again

2:52 PM: Thanks to everybody who has messaged about this – reporting that the West Seattle Junction finally has its drive-up/ride-up mailbox back. It’s been a month and half since our last update, from reader Diana, who was told by the USPS that it might be “several more months.” The old, damaged box was removed in mid-January, right after our original report about it having been out of service for a few weeks.

3:10 PM: WSB’s Katie Meyer just checked out the new box and sent the photo we added above. She says it is still being fine-tuned but it is usable – and bolted into concrete.

Just Wondering August 11, 2017 (3:08 pm)

No more driving to Westwood Village!

sw August 11, 2017 (3:24 pm)

Finally. Now please put in a yellow-painted concrete-filled metal bollard on the SE corner of the box so people don’t run into the mail slot with their cars.

Seattlite August 11, 2017 (3:29 pm)

Yippee ki-yah…no more treks to Westwood Village :)

Norskgirl August 11, 2017 (3:41 pm)

This is great news. Thanks for the FYI.

It looks the same as the old one. I can’t remember the issues with the old one that warranted it’s removal. I wonder if this one will suffer the same issues?

Wsrez August 11, 2017 (3:45 pm)

It has been gone so long people have been using the space for parking. Hopefully that won’t continue to happen.

West Seattle since 1979 August 11, 2017 (5:37 pm)

Was the old one vandalized? I can’t remember.
- Seabruce August 12, 2017 (12:08 am)
  
  Yes, opening of old one was damaged and duck taped. Coincidentally, the drive-up mailbox at the Columbia City post office on S Alaska was also damaged and removed…
  
  I just wish they’d install a street mailbox to replace the one removed many years ago from SW Genesee and 55th SW for residents of Genesee Hill.
- Wsrez August 12, 2017 (12:09 am)
  
  I’m not sure. I think the door just got old and wouldn’t open or the key would not work anymore so the employees couldn’t get the mail people had dropped in the box.

Sylvia August 11, 2017 (3:53 pm)

I was actually getting use to parking up the street and walking to drop my mail off inside the building. Lots of extra steps in that way :)

Jon Wright August 11, 2017 (4:42 pm)

Hallelujah, it’s a miracle!

Colette August 11, 2017 (4:50 pm)

Yay! Finally some good news!

West Seattle since 1979 August 11, 2017 (5:36 pm)

So happy! Just when I needed to drop off some work mail too!

yay for usps August 11, 2017 (5:42 pm)

excellent news. thanks for letting us all know.

who would’ve thought we’d all be so excited about drive up mail drop off? :)

WestSeattlePerson August 11, 2017 (6:06 pm)

Where is this specially?

Chris August 11, 2017 (6:16 pm)

Thank you!

22blades August 11, 2017 (8:35 pm)

Yay!👏👏👏 I agree with SW; Yellow, concrete filled bollards!

male bocks August 11, 2017 (8:39 pm)

why so long?

Mike August 11, 2017 (8:41 pm)

Dang It! That was an extra parking place!

Sus Parker August 11, 2017 (9:19 pm)

The USPS takes in about $18 million in annual taxpayer subsidies each year, has revenue of over $60 billion, and it takes them seven months to replace a mailbox. I can’t think of anything more emblematic of what a dysfunctional, broken down bureaucracy they are. There are countries in the developing world that have better run postal systems. Now if they could just get their carriers to stop blocking fire hydrants and crosswalks all over West Seattle then I might be willing to celebrate.

Dave August 11, 2017 (9:25 pm)

7 months not bad for government work, good thing it wasn’t world peace they were trying to fix, hope it is locked and loaded!

Tricia August 11, 2017 (10:11 pm)

Awesome!! I’m so glad it’s back in service.

Greg August 11, 2017 (10:56 pm)

I always go inside and hadn’t realized it was gone!

JayDee August 12, 2017 (12:02 am)

@ SUS Parker: You say this based on what? Does your mail not arrive everyday? This one mailbox affected your daily mail? Which developing countries are you thinking of? Canada? Mexico? Spain?

Do you fight fires? Are you a firefighter? A USPS vehicle is in the way for a fraction of the day. The fact is we are lucky to have a drive and drop mailbox accessible everyday.

Deansnest August 12, 2017 (4:43 pm)

I’ll second, third and fourth your comment. Time to stop complaining and be thakful for what we have!

Jeff August 12, 2017 (9:08 am)

Sus Parker, there are political reasons related to pension prefunding (that no other organization has to deal with) that the USPS is in a strange financial situation, put into place by Congress. That aside, I don’t see any private carriers rushing to deliver letters anywhere in the country for $.50.

98126res August 12, 2017 (11:22 am)

glad it’s back – yay! why did it take so long?

Marianne August 12, 2017 (11:53 am)

It was a great parking space while vacant…

Why are people driving to Westwood Village to use the drive up box? Can’t you park and walk your mail into the Junction post office? I don’t get it.

WSB August 12, 2017 (12:04 pm)

That discussion was had extensively on the previous stories.

-Disability
-Small children in car

among other reasons.

We don’t have any such factors or conditions so whichever post office we’re at, we walk in and deposit it into the slot anyway, for maximum security.
- Marianne August 12, 2017 (5:50 pm)
  
  Thank you, hadn’t thought of those conditions.
  - Mike August 12, 2017 (8:50 pm)
    
    Post office is also only open certain hours of the day.
    - West Sea Neighbor August 14, 2017 (7:43 am)
      
      Lobby with PO boxes and inside mail slot is always open AFAIK.

John H. August 12, 2017 (12:55 pm)

Finally!

Why did it take so long and I hope there were security and other changes to make it much more robust both from theft and collision from vehicles.

– John H

Gene August 12, 2017 (4:11 pm)

Marianne- you know often there really is nowhere close by to park -What if you use a walker or a cane- or have a child or two with you-how far away is a reasonable distance to walk to deposit a letter?

What I don’t get is why some can’t see that this is something that’s a real convenience for many.

James August 12, 2017 (5:47 pm)

Well, it’s about GDT!!

Chuck August 13, 2017 (5:54 am)

The Seattle area USPS facilities department should immediately order another one of these boxes to have on hand for the next replacement. When that one gets deployed another should be ordered. Seattle is a large service area, having one of these in stock, ready to go, seems like a reasonable policy rather than customers having to do without for 7 months.

22blades August 13, 2017 (6:15 am)

“They” (USPS) didn’t break anything… “We” (the careless public) did. They can take their “GDT” being careful with your “annual taxpayer money”. Own it & suck it up. We broke it.

Mike August 13, 2017 (12:42 pm)

No, ‘we’ didn’t break it, one person did. ‘We’ do pay taxes and postage fees that cover the costs of these things and in return USPS is legally obligated to provide services in a timely fashion. USPS failed to hold up their end. I’ve got video footage of our USPS guy kicking my package up to my door with his foot, tripping on Christmas light power cords (because he cuts across our lawn to avoid using the sidewalk), leaves our mail at our neighbors house multiple times, etc…. I want USPS to hold up their end of the deal.
- WSB August 13, 2017 (1:48 pm)
  
  It was NOT one person, as noted in another reply, per our original story. Multiple people vandalized and hit it over the years and they just couldn’t fix it one more time. https://westseattleblog.com/2017/01/west-seattle-junction-drive-up-mailbox-will-return-usps-says/
  - Mike August 14, 2017 (8:03 pm)
    
    I stand corrected. THEY (careless public) broke it, so WE (caring public) all pay for it.