Electric vehicles aren’t the Postal Service’s only zero-emissions delivery method.
In three Sun Belt cities, letter carriers use bicycles to make deliveries.
“Bikes are environmentally friendly, save money on gas, and reduce traffic and vehicle accidents on the streets,” said Diana Christian, postmaster in Sun City, AZ, where about 40 percent of USPS routes are delivered by bicycle.
In some areas, bikes can make door-to-door delivery more efficient than traditional park-and-loop or dismount delivery methods.
“We also find bicycles serve as a little extra protection between a carrier and loose dogs, which can reduce dog bites,” Christian said.
The Sun City Post Office maintains 40 specially equipped bicycles to deliver mail and packages for 26 routes. The bikes are designed with baskets that distribute and balance the mail load safely when the carrier dismounts.
For routes that are not within biking distance of the Post Office, a postal vehicle is used to transport the bike to the route.
The Miami Beach, FL, Main Post Office has 10 bike routes serving more than 9,000 addresses.
“The benefits of these bike routes are they allow us to easily deliver in what is a very compact area. The roads are very tight in parts of Miami Beach,” said Mattie Garvin, a customer services manager who oversees Miami Beach bike routes.
“We have a lot of small apartment areas where it is actually necessary to have a bike to deliver,” she said.
The St. Petersburg, FL, Open Air Station has 14 bike routes serving approximately 11,400 delivery points.
Customer Services Manager Teri LaLone, who used to be a bike letter carrier, said this delivery method is not without some challenges.
“Weather is a factor when it comes to bike routes,” she said. “If there is lightning or thunder, carriers have to seek shelter.”
Bicycling carriers also have to protect the mail from the elements.
Kelly Fischer, a Sun City letter carrier who has been on a bicycle route for eight years, has learned to be even more mindful of traffic, parked vehicles and customers backing out of driveways — challenges that she has embraced.
“I enjoy my route and the biking aspect of it,” she said.
Richard Vargas, another Sun City letter carrier, has worked a bike route for nine years and said he “wouldn’t have it any other way.” He relies on a stretching regimen to keep him fit for the job.
Vargas is also used to the attention a bicycle delivery route can bring.
“When people from out of town are visiting and see a mailman on a bike, they are always shocked and ask questions,” he said. “They take pictures to show to friends and family back home.”