Cluster Boxes Being Installed as Temporary Measure to Expand Mail Delivery in Galveston's Downtown and West End Areas

Transition to Portable Buildings at Bob Lyons Station set for Oct. 27

Houston, TX — The Postal Service announced today it is expanding mail delivery to hundreds of residential and business customers located in heavily damaged areas of Galveston by installing Cluster Box Units (CBUs) as a temporary measure as the area continues its recovery efforts.

The installation of 24 CBUs along curb lines in the downtown area of Galveston along 21st Street, 22nd Street, and 23rd Street which began October 16 will provide immediate relief for postal customers currently picking up their mail at the temporary site at 14057 Delaney Street in La Marque.

Additional CBUs are scheduled to be installed along the Avenues in the downtown area beginning October 20. Other CBUs installed at locations across the area that were damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike, including Jamaica Beach and Tiki Island, are being repaired and restored with new mailbox locks as needed.

CBUs are free-standing mailbox units with up to 16 locked mailboxes, along with parcel lockers and a slot for mail collection. They are widely used across the nation for safe and secure access to mail 24-hours a day.

Customers that will have new or restored CBU mail delivery service will be provided with keys for their locked mail receptacle when they pick up their mail at the temporary site in La Marque, TX. Flyers announcing the availability of keys for the CBUs will also be posted at each installed unit.

Postal operations for both the Galveston Main Post Office and the Bob Lyons Station Post Office have been housed at the temporary site at 14057 Delaney Street in La Marque since Sept. 24. Mail delivery service resumed Sept. 29, and has increased steadily to over 80 percent of all pre-hurricane deliveries as access improves and customers provide instructions to resume service.

Mail for Post Office Box customers in ZIP Code 77552 began operating October 14 from portable buildings placed onsite at Bob Lyons Station Post Office. Located at 5826 Broadway, all other operations for Bob Lyons Station (ZIP Codes 77551, 77552, and 77554) will transition from the La Marque site into portable buildings positioned in front of the Galveston postal facility by October 27. Repairs to the building are set to be completed within six months.

The Galveston Main Post Office is located in the Federal Building at 601 25th Street, a facility managed by the Government Services Administration (GSA). The facility provides retail service, Post Office Box service, and mail delivery operations for ZIP Codes 77550, 77553, and 77555. A decision regarding the establishment of a temporary site on the island for the Galveston Main Post Office is expected within ten days.

For customers that have permanently relocated or will be at a temporary location for an extended time, the Postal Service recommends filing a Change of Address in order to forward mail to their new address. Customers may file a Change of Address order online at usps.com, at the nearest Post Office or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). In addition, customers may request a “Hold Mail” order for up to 30 days by following any of the same options above.