Relay Mailbox

Swift completion of storage

Littera excambio

Order
Supellex
Family
Condo
Genus
Littera
Species
Littera excambio

Description

Littera excambio (cn. USPS Relay Mailbox) are the unsung workhorses of urban mail delivery. L. excambio holds a day’s worth of mail for the mail carrier, since they can only hold so much mail at one time, allowing the mail carrier to come back to their L. excambio multiple times a day.

Identification

A medium sized box on four thin legs, with half-round top; green with the words “U.S. Mail” and Relay Mail” stamped on the front.

Habitat

Primarily curbside on major USPS mail routes.

Range

Throughout the five boroughs.

Explore Genus Littera

Littera buxus
Mail Collection Box Receptacle
- L. buxus blavus
  Standard Collection Box Receptacle (Blue Box)
- L. buxus localis
  Local Collection Box Receptacle
- L. buxus beccus
  Snorkel Collection Box Receptacle
- L. buxus prioritas
  Priority Mail Express® Collection Box Receptacle
Package Drop Units (PDUs)
Mail chute
Lobby Drop or Wall Drop
Cluster Box

Examples

Discussion

According to the USPS, all collection boxes (the term of art for mailbox) used to be some form of green starting around 1909; then in 1955 street collection boxes became red, white, and blue; then When the Post Office Department was reorganized, creating the United States Postal Service in 1971, the shaded deep blue found on Littera buxis (Mail Collection Box Receptacle) and the subspecies became standardized. It is supposed that L. excambio retained the green coloring since these collection boxes aren’t meant for public use, only by authorized USPS employees.

Climate impacts

L. excambio allows for a single mail carrier to deliver more mail through smart storage. With Americans increasingly moving to more urban environments, having mail carriers walk their route rather than drive a vehicle reduces carbon emissions. At the same time, the USPS has an universal service obligation and monopoly status provided in the constitution, which has been interpreted that the USPS needs to serve all residents, no matter how far away they are. This is great from a “knit America together” policy, but has profound environmental impacts.