Neighbors in Lincoln Park said mail trucks parked as far as the eye can see along busy Clark Street aren't just taking up valuable parking, but potentially putting students in danger while they walk to school.

"It is imminently putting kids at risk," said Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd). "There's fire hydrants blocked, there's stop signs blocked, there's pedestrian crosswalks right there that are blocked."

Jahel De Quesada was one of the dozens of parents and kids navigating the intersection of at Clark Street and Drummond Place on their way to nearby Alcott Elementary School on Thursday morning.

More than a year ago, U.S. Postal Service trucks began taking up nearly every inch of parking on the street near an annex building after losing access to a parking lot that USPS was leasing at the time.

"They block the streets," De Quesada said. "It has been a huge problem."

Neighbors said it's not just annoying, but it's dangerous for kids and other pedestrians due to reduced visibility at the crosswalks. 

"They're all over the place. They park illegally. They're in my way," said Lincoln Park resident Noah Malek. "If you were walking right here and a car was coming, you wouldn't be able to see that car coming."

Knudsen said, when the problem surfaced over a year ago, he helped find a Chicago Park District lot for the mail trucks about two miles away, but they don't use it.

"At the time, USPS said it would be sufficient, but it's clearly not sufficient," Knudsen said. "I really feel for the postal workers, because leadership at USPS has left them in a situation where they don't know how to do their jobs."

It's not just regular parking spots they're taking up. At least one mail truck was parked in a tow zone Thursday morning.

A legal loophole is making the problem a tough one to fix.

USPS vehicles cannot be legally ticketed or towed, no matter the severity of a situation, which leaves the city with little recourse.

"USPS is just above having to obey all of these laws," Knudsen said.

A USPS spokesperson said "The Postal Service has been in contact with Ald. Knudsen's office in addressing this issue."

According to Knudsen, the Postal Service's claim that they're addressing the issue is a stretch.

"We're getting nothing in return. So they're not working closely with us," he said.

It's the reason why he's now calling for USPS to move the annex to a new location altogether before someone gets hurt.

Knudsen said they've identified some possible spots to relocate the annex office and he's happy to help coordinate a move. But now he needs the cooperation of the federal government.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin have now joined Knudsen in calling for a fix to this problem, because ultimately it's up to the federal government to solve it.

This is hardly an isolated incident. In 2021, people in Belmont Cragin complained about dozens of USPS vehicles taking up all the parking at Armitage and LeClaire avenues for years.