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To:
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Amini,Jannette
Amini,Jannette
FW: Canada Post Rural Mail Safety Review - Seeleys Bay RR 1 & 3
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 1:59:10 PM
2012 Municipal_fact_sheet_Jan-f.pdf
2010 TSAT criteria_Customer_f.pdf
2010 TSAT criteria_Customer_July_e.pdf
2012 Municipal_fact_sheet_Jan-e (2).pdf
From: PATERSON, Andrew [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 11:33 AM
To: Gerretsen,Mark
Subject: Canada Post Rural Mail Safety Review - Seeleys Bay RR 1 & 3
May 8, 2012
Mayor Mark Gerretsen
City of Kingston
Dear Mayor Gerretsen:
This email is to advise you that Canada Post will be conducting safety assessments on
roadside rural mailboxes that may be situated on roads in your municipality over the next few
weeks. We will be assessing Seeleys Bay RR 1 & 3.
The process involves data gathering, followed by physical assessments at the rural
mailboxes. While the first priority for our investigating teams is safety, we also place a high
priority on maintaining delivery to the customer’s mailbox. When a mailbox fails a safety
assessment, the investigating team looks for another location nearby where the box can be
placed and the rural mail carrier can continue delivery to that mailbox. Only when it is not
possible to find a site that fits the safety criteria will we offer customers other options which
include; receiving mail in a Community Mail Box located near their homes, or choosing a
Post Office Box in a local Post Office, at no cost to the customer.
Please be assured that Canada Post is committed to rural mail delivery. I have attached
information on Rural Mail Delivery Safety, and one explaining our safety criteria.
We would ask that you share this information with the appropriate manager of your roads or
public works department so that they are aware of our activities. Also, please do not hesitate
to contact me directly if you would like to inform us of special bylaws, road construction
projects or any other issues you feel might have an impact on our assessment activities or the
movement of roadside rural mailboxes. I would be happy to arrange a meeting between a
Canada Post representative and you or your representatives.
Sincerely
Andy Paterson
Manager, Communications
Canada Post, London, ON
519-457-5247 (office)
519-520-5226 (cell)
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Canada
Post
and Rural Canada:
Effective May
16, 2005
Amendment #2
Stronger Together
Municipal Fact Sheet:
Rural Mail Safety Review
Do municipalities have a formal
working relationship with
Canada Post?
Why is Canada Post conducting a
review of rural mailbox delivery?
Canada Post has worked closely with Canadian
municipalities on various issues for over six decades.
We have prepared a standard form of agreement
in cooperation with the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities which details cooperation with
municipalities on postal delivery issues. This
agreement has been executed with over 90% of
municipalities across Canada.
The nature of many of Canada‘s rural and
suburban areas has changed. Increased traffic is
making delivery of mail to many rural mailboxes
(RMB) potentially hazardous for Canada Post
mail carriers and the motoring public.
Canada Post is committed to providing the safest
possible workplace for all its employees. Like any
other corporation, we have legal obligations under
the Criminal Code and Labour Code. We are also
concerned about the safety of the motoring
public. Following the Westray Coal Mine disaster
in Nova Scotia in 1992, the Criminal Code was
amended by Bill C-45 to make employers criminally
liable for failing to address safety issues.
Canada Post has received more than 40 rulings
from federal health and safety officials to stop
delivering mail on specific rural delivery routes.
Since 2005, our rural mail carriers have submitted
more than 3,000 complaints over health and
safety concerns. To date, there have been more
than 150 traffic accidents related to rural mailbox
mail delivery. The Rural Mail Safety Review (RMSR)
will assess the safety of all 843,000 rural
mailboxes in Canada.
How are municipalities affected
by the Rural Mail Safety Review?
An integral part of the RMSR is Canada Post‘s
Community Outreach Process which addresses
three stakeholders: our customers, local
municipalities and Members of Parliament.
Canada Post is committed to keeping municipalities
informed throughout the Safety Review process.
Before we start assessment work in your area, we
will contact you. We offer to meet with council
and staff to explain the Safety Review and to
answer your questions. We will let you know the
results of the assessments in your area and the
subsequent steps. For roads where there is no
municipal organization, Canada Post works with
Provincial Departments of Transportation which
have jurisdiction over the roads system.
Canada Post works closely with each municipality
to implement the best possible solution for
our customers. For example, location selection
for community mailboxes (CMB) is based on
consultation with municipal officials.
How does the safety
assessment work?
Canada Post retained an independent panel of
traffic safety experts to design the Traffic Safety
Assessment Tool (TSAT). The tool is based on
scientific criteria and driver behaviour. Canada
Post applies the TSAT to identify hazards at each
rural mailbox considering factors such as volume
and speed of traffic, sightlines and stopping
distance, and the position of the mail carrier‘s
vehicle when stopped on the side of the road.
What steps does Canada Post
take when conditions are
determined to pose a risk?
Canada Post is committed to maintaining delivery
to rural mailboxes. Nationally since 2007, we
have been able to preserve delivery to 90% of
rural mailboxes reviewed. We work with each
municipality to implement delivery solutions.
Changing the mode of delivery is something that
is considered only as a last resort. Where it is
possible, rural mailboxes will be moved to new
locations that meet the safety criteria.
How are citizens of my
municipality kept informed of
the safety review?
Canada Post sends information to customers which
outlines why the Safety Review is being done and
what is involved in the process. When conditions
require a change to the location of the rural
mailbox or a change in service, we meet with the
customer to explain their options. Information is
also available through a dedicated Customer
Service line.
5
Questions?
Should you require
further information
or have any
questions, do not
hesitate to contact
us at
1-866-501-1669.
www.canadapost.ca/
ruralmail
Traffic Safety Assessment Criteria
The nature of many of Canada‘s rural and suburban areas is changing. Population growth and increased traffic are making
delivery of mail to many rural mailboxes potentially hazardous for Canada Post mail carriers and other drivers. Today, there
are about 843,000 rural mailboxes which represent about six percent of Canada Post’s 14 million delivery points. Given
the company’s responsibility to provide a safe working environment, Canada Post has taken steps to increase the visibility
of the vehicles driven by its Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC), equipping each with rooftop signs and flashing
amber lights. But enhanced visibility does not address all situations where Canada Post employees, customers and other
drivers are at risk.
Canada Post responsibilities and obligations
Canada Post is committed to delivering the highest standards of service possible to all Canadians. Following the Westray
Coal Mine disaster in Nova Scotia in 1992, the Criminal Code was amended by Bill C-45 to make employers criminally
liable for failing to address safety issues. As an employer and corporate citizen, Canada Post, like all Canadian companies,
is bound by both the Criminal Code and the Labour Code to ensure that its operations do not put its employees or members
of the public at undue risk. As a result, Canada Post is obligated to address increasing concerns about the safety of
delivering to rural and suburban mailboxes.
Canada Post engaged the services of an expert panel to develop a tool that would assess the traffic of Rural and Suburban
Mail Carriers’ (RSMC) delivery routes. The result of the combined work of the multi-disciplinary team is a Traffic Safety
Assessment Tool (TSAT) that can be applied to individual rural mailboxes (RMB) in both rural and suburban areas.
The panel of safety experts
iTRANS Consulting, a North American professional engineering consulting firm serving clients across Canada, the United
States and internationally in the areas of transportation planning, transportation systems, and transportation safety.
Human Factors North (HFN), ), a Canadian consulting firm providing ergonomics expertise to design work and
workplaces based on human characteristics. HFN brings expertise in traffic safety, interface design and occupational
ergonomics.
Cotton Law, a legal specialist and advisory firm in the area of occupational health, safety and the environment.
The approach
The approach is based on driver behaviour. It considers the driving tasks of an RSMC, and their requirements, as well
as the driving tasks of other drivers who encounter a stopped or merging mail carrier vehicle in typical traffic and road
conditions.
What the tool assesses
The tool assesses if there is sufficient sight distance for other drivers, traveling at typical speeds on the particular road,
to respond appropriately to a stopped mail carrier’s vehicle. Drivers need time to perceive the situation ahead, make a
decision on how best to react to it, and then initiate and complete the necessary action.
The tool also assesses the ability of the mail carrier to merge safely back into traffic. The RSMC needs to see far enough
behind to be able to select a safe gap between passing vehicles before re-entering the roadway.
The tool also considers speed and the number of vehicles using the two- and four-lane roads when the RSMC vehicle is
stopped on the shoulder or partly on the road. Research has found that when drivers need to wait long periods of time
due to high traffic volumes, they tend to accept shorter and less safe gaps in traffic.
In addition, the tool assesses whether the location of the mailbox meets the present legal restrictions or other
considerations such as its distance from an intersection.
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Traffic Safety Assessment Criteria
Deciding factors
1.Number of lanes and where the RSMC vehicle stops to deliver the mail
As a first step, some basic data related to the RMB is recorded, including:
• Number of lanes on the road (two or four lanes);
• Position of the RSMC vehicle when it is stopped to deliver the mail (is the vehicle stopped on the shoulder or partly on
the road);
• Presence of yellow double centerline markings on the road;
• Posted speed limit that applies to the location. If none is posted, the established speed limit determined by the provincial
Ministry of Transportation is recorded;
• Whether any legal restrictions exist at the RMB location. Legal restrictions could include, for example, an RMB located
within a “No stopping” zone;
• Whether any safety restrictions exist at the RMB location (e.g. proximity to a controlled/uncontrolled intersection, bridge
or railway crossing).
2. Traffic volume at the RMB
Traffic volume is the number of vehicles that passes the RMB over a15-minute period. Traffic volume measurements are
taken between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., the time of day when a RSMC normally delivers mail. This avoids counting vehicle
traffic associated with rush-hour.
For two-lane roads:
• Vehicles travelling in both directions are counted.
• When the RSMC vehicle can pull completely off the road when delivering the mail and the total number of vehicles
that passes the RMB in the 15-minute period is greater than 130, it is potentially unsafe for the mail carrier to deliver at
the RMB.
• When the RSMC vehicle is partially on the road when delivering mail and the total number of vehicles that passes the
RMB in the 15-minute period is greater than 40, it is potentially unsafe for the mail carrier to deliver at the RMB.
For four-lane roads:
• Only vehicles travelling in the two lanes on the same side of the road as the RMB are counted.
• When the RSMC vehicle can pull completely off the road when delivering the mail and the total number of vehicles
that passes the RMB in the 15-minute period is greater than 130, it is potentially unsafe for the mail carrier to deliver at
the RMB.
• When the RSMC vehicle is partially on the road when delivering the mail and the total number of vehicles that passes
the RMB in the 15-minute period is greater than 80, it is potentially unsafe for the mail carrier to deliver at the RMB.
3.Time gap measurement
A time gap is the time it takes for a vehicle to pass the RMB once the vehicle comes into view from behind an obstruction
(e.g. hill or curve). Vehicle speed affects the distance required to carry out maneuvers such as changing lanes or merging
into and out of traffic. Drivers generally take about the same time gap for maneuvers regardless of their speed. Therefore,
the assessment tool measures sight distance in terms of time gap. Time gaps may vary slightly depending on factors such
as the position of the mail carrier’s vehicle (on or off the road), and the posted speed limit.
4. Special Low Volume Conditions:
In situations referred to as “low speed, low volume rural subdivisions” (LSLVRS), driver expectations are likely to be different
than on a higher speed rural highway with few pedestrians and widely spaced properties. Local drivers in the LSLVRS area
will expect to have to slow or stop for pedestrians or parked vehicles, whereas in high speed and/or high volume areas,
drivers may not expect to come across a stopped vehicle in the through lane and may need more time to understand and
respond to the situation.
All of the following three conditions must be met to be able to deliver to a RMB located in a LSLVRS area:
• Posted speed limit is less than or equal to 40 km/h;
• Total number of vehicles that passes the RMB is less than or equal to 12 vehicles in a 15-minute count;
• RMB is located in a rural subdivision or cottage–like setting with features such as: two-lane roads, suburban type
housing densities, cul-de-sac road designs, parked vehicles, and pedestrians routinely walking on the road.
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