In an age when Democrats and Republicans in Congress rarely agree on anything, they seem to have found common ground on creating a separate ZIP code for Glendale.
The Queens neighborhood is one of five communities in the United States that would receive new ZIP codes under a bill that the House passed by a voice vote during its Sept. 26 meeting on Capitol Hill.
Congresswoman Grace Meng, who represents Glendale, co-sponsored the legislation, H.R. 6846, which now advances to the United States Senate. Should the Senate pass the bill before the end of this session, and should the president sign it, the United States Postal Service would be required to create a Glendale ZIP code within 270 days of the bill’s enactment.
For nearly four decades, Glendale and neighboring Ridgewood have shared the same 11385 ZIP code. Over the last 10 years, numerous lawmakers and civic leaders called upon the USPS to create a single ZIP code for Glendale, as the shared ZIP code led to numerous difficulties in everything from mail delivery to even emergency responses.
“Residents of Glendale have long advocated for a ZIP code that they can call their own, and now we are a major step closer towards making that a reality,” Meng said in a statement. “Establishing a ZIP code for Glendale would allow for more efficient mail delivery and ensure that first responders and navigation devices no longer have problems with finding correct addresses. It would also ensure the wonderful and vibrant identity of Glendale is appropriately recognized by the Postal Service.”
More than 90,000 people reside in the 11385 ZIP code, nearly three times the population of Maspeth and Middle Village; each of those neighborhoods has its own ZIP code and post office. Glendale has a postal station on Myrtle Avenue near 70th Street, but to pick up a package or open up a post office box, residents have to travel to the Ridgewood post office on Myrtle Avenue at Decatur Street.
In 2011, the USPS agreed to provide Glendale “preferred last line” status and recognition in the 11385 ZIP code. The USPS previously rebuffed requests for a separate ZIP code over what were called “operational factors.”
It’s not the first time Meng has pushed for a Glendale ZIP code. In December 2016, the House of Representatives passed similar legislation in a lame duck session, but the Senate didn’t get around to considering the bill before the bill’s expiration at the end of the calendar year.
