There are more than 79,000 residential mailboxes in Salt Lake City, according to the Postal Service. Of those, only 9.5 percent are curbside, with most being attached directly to the home near the front door. Most likely, the people who park in front of mailboxes are those who have boxes near their front doors and don't realize it would be problematic to block a curbside box, Councilman Dave Buhler said.

"I assume the people who are parking in front of mailboxes are not giving it a second thought," he said. "This is troubling."

The new rule states that parking is prohibited "within 10 feet of a private driveway on Monday through Saturday (except holidays) between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. when a mailbox is located within five feet of such a driveway." The rule only applies to mailboxes that are located in the parking strip.

The city's administration plans to issue warning tickets in the near future to educate people about the new rules. After that grace period, parking officers will begin issuing the real tickets.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com