STUDENTS’ lives are being put at risk by an unsafe crossing at the entrance to the Brindabella Christian College (BCC) car park in Lyneham.

Concerned mother, Kate Bradney, said children walking or riding to and from school are forced to cross over the Brigalow Street entrance to the car park.

Bradney – who’s daughter attends Lyneham Primary School – said children’s safety is being compromised because of the high volume of cars coming and going into the car park at school drop-off and pick-up times.

“Brigalow Street is very busy and, to enter this car park, cars drive over the footpath, which is heavily used by young kids who are walking and cycling to school,” she said.

While pedestrian safety is a concern for BCC students its greatest impact is on the Lyneham Primary School children.

In an attempt to improve pedestrian safety, a “makeshift” crossing has been installed at the car park entrance which Bradney feels isn’t adequate.

“Kids being kids, dart across the makeshift crossing,” she said.

“When cars queue across the footpath at the entranceway to the car park the kids weave through the cars to get to school.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

Bradney has collected the signatures of 600 local residents and parents petitioning the ACT government to conduct a transport impact assessment of the car park development.

She was prompted to take action after witnessing some near misses at the site.

“At the start of this year I saw a really goosebump-inducing, near miss where a four-wheel-drive was entering the car park at the same time that a kid was riding across the path and neither of them saw each other,” she said.

“It was a very close call and it highlighted how much of an issue safety is at this site…someone could die here.”

Bradney said the construction of a kiss-and-drop style car park is her favoured solution to the problem. 

“It’s like a modest drop off bay with the footpath winding around,” she said.

“It would make it a lot safer for kids who are walking and cycling on the Brigalow Street footpath because it would remove the dangerous conflict between cars and kids.”

She has also been advised that the ACT government is considering constructing a third pedestrian crossing on Brigalow Street between Lyneham Primary School and the BCC.

“That will help some children avoid the dangerous car park entry, but it won’t help others coming from the area of the Axis apartments where a lot of kids live,” Bradney said.

Bradney points to the death of a pedestrian on Brigalow Street earlier this year, to highlight the urgency of addressing the car park issue before a child is lost to a tragic accident.

“The accident was near the shops, just a few hundred metres up from the dangerous crossing,” she said. 

“It was an elderly man that died – he was crossing the street – I was a few cars back when it happened, it was really sad.”

She also stressed that Lyneham is in the commuter belt of Canberra’s CBD with a lot of people choosing to cycle and walk from their homes to work. 

“We are one of the highest commuting suburbs to work and school, people are out and about on bikes and walking all the time… Brigalow Street is dangerous, it’s congested and cars go really fast.”

A spokesperson said the ACT government is intending to improve safety at the carpark entry point at BCC by undertaking the following measures; “applying a painted pedestrian priority treatment that is consistent with ACT government standards and realignment of the footpath to shorten the crossing distance.”

Other measures the government is considering are footpath connections along Brigalow Street, and an additional crossing on Brigalow Street.

The spokesperson said the government was working with the BCC “to promote safe behaviour and to remind motorists to give way to pedestrians on the footpath”.

Bradney said she has invested a great deal of time and effort in the issue.

She is driven by her conscience and won’t rest until something is done to address the safety issue at the car park.

“I never intended to become so invested in this,” Bradney said.

“I just don’t want to see a kid die here and feel as if I didn’t do enough.”