ACT Government, locals concerned about Braddon pedestrian safety

Residents in one trendy Canberra suburb are seriously concerned about pedestrian safety, and say the fix is simple. Find out why.

Braddon residents say they are concerned about pedestrian safety in the trendy Canberra Suburb. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

Local residents of the hip inner-north Canberra suburb of Braddon are raising the alarm on pedestrian safety, with parents concerned about a lack of marked crossings.

Braddon resident and ANU academic Michael said he was worried about the safety of his daughters during their daily walk to school.

The father of two said it was a daily struggle to ensure his children’s safety while navigating traffic conditions during the busy drop off and pick up time.

“I cannot trust drivers – being a driver myself” Michael said as he pointed out the huge number of SUV’s dodging students near his child’s school.

He said the area near his eldest daughter’s school was particularly problematic and said only one side of the school had any signage to indicate children were crossing.

Michael and his eldest daughter walk to school in Braddon. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

Michael said he wanted existing crossings to be made visible.

“All you need is a bucket of white paint,” he said

“Mark some lines, it shouldn't be this hard.”

An ACT Government Spokesman said the suburb had 49 pedestrian crossings including 3 school crossing.

However they were unable to say how many crossings were marked, either by a traffic lights or zebra crossings.

Nicholas Seefried, a member of local resident group the Braddon Collective, described the state of pedestrian crossings as a “disgrace”.

“Braddon has been reasonably (densely populated) since the early 2000s — there’s no excuse for it,” Mr Seefried said.

“As a comparison, Dickson has about 12 (marked) pedestrian crossings and two light crossings and that’s further north than Braddon.”

"All you need is a bucket of paint" Braddon resident and father of two Michael says he's concerned for his daughter's safety. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

According to the 2021 census, 6383 people live in Braddon while neighbouring suburbs have a far less dense population.

In comparison, data suggests only 3,292 people live in the neighbouring suburb of Dickson, only 4,470 people live in Turner, only 5,376 people live in Ainslie, only 4,835 live in Civic, and only 1,544 live in the neighbouring suburb of Reid.

Mr Seefried said he found it difficult to safely walk in the suburb with a pram due to the lack of pedestrian signage.

“I have to cross the road ten times just to get to the pharmacy,” he said.

“Especially with a pram there’s no ramps on my street for 100 metres,

“You’re always swivelling your head, there no sort of safe walkable environment.”

Braddon Collective member Nicholas Seefried said the lack of marked pedestrian crossings in Braddon was a “disgrace”. Picture: Supplied

Not only was Mr Seefried concerned about the impact on residents, especially young families and people with disability, he also said the lack of walkability in the suburb was a threat to Braddon businesses and night-life near Lonsdale Street.

“Foot traffic is really important for business — most businesses in braddon are in the service industry,” he said.

“Its unsafe here at night particularly with cars swinging around the roundabouts.

“If you are a bit tipsy and you are walking home you’re probably a bit more vulnerable.”

Mr Seefried said when local residents tried to contact the government to resolve issues in the suburb, there was back and forth about which ACT government directorate — the City Renewal Authority or Transport Canberra and City Services — had responsibility.

“It’s a bit of a governance and oversight issue,” he said.

“The CRA is only responsible up to Haig Park, but when you talk to TCCS they often think that Braddon is all CRA.”

We’ve had several occasions when we’ve talked to TCCS about issues like lighting or requests to repair things, or we need a pedestrian crossing here.

“Then they’ll be like that‘s the CRA’s responsibility.”

While Braddon’s Lonsdale St may be home to the iconic rainbow roundabout, residents say the suburb lacks zebra crossings. Picture: ACT Government

In response to concerns raised about pedestrian safety in Braddon an ACT Government spokesman said the CRA will upgrade the Lonsdale St streetscape in Mid 2023.

The spokesman said the streetscape upgrade would make the Lonsdale St “more pedestrian friendly” and aimed to improve the walking connections between Civic and Haig Park.

“The works will include an intersection upgrade at Girrawheen Street, widened verges at the Cooyong Street intersection, and landscaped mid-block pedestrian crossings between these intersections and Elouera Street,” the spokesman said

“This is aimed to improve safety in areas of high pedestrian and cyclist activity.”

In relation to the safety of children in the area, the spokesman said children’s safety was a “priority”.

“TCCS’s School Safety Program was established a few years ago and works closely with the Education Directorate and Roads ACT to assess a range of transport issues around schools, including schools in Braddon,” they said.

“The School Safety Program also delivers a suite of active travel programs, including the Ride or Walk to School, It’s Your Move Safe Cycle, Active Streets for Schools and School Crossing Supervisor programs to encourage and support students to walk or ride to school.”