Two further peafowl deaths in the Inner South on Tuesday have prompted community members to renew their calls for road safety improvements in parts of Red Hill and Narrabundah.
According to Convenor of local group the Narrabundah Peafowlers, Tim DeWan, the two young peacocks were killed when they were hit by a van on La Perouse Street on the afternoon of 27 April.
Mr DeWan wants a roundabout at the intersection of La Perouse Street and Carnegie Crescent, 40km/h speed limits on either side of the intersection and road markings like zigzags and peacocks to remind people to slow down for the benefit of the birds and residents. Four โpeafowl crossingโ signs were installed at the intersection last year.
He says people taking โan extra 10 secondsโ to get their destination could make a real difference to road safety in the area.
โThis is a major thoroughfare for people coming from the south, people going to work in the City, people dropping their kids off at schoolsโฆ but itโs still in the middle of a suburb, a community.
โWe want less traffic and slower speeds,โ he says.
โWeโre happy to give it to the experts, and then [they] consult with us, with the community.โ
Mr DeWan says the local peafowl are simply the unfortunate victims of increased dangerous driving in the area. He estimates 30 birds used to call the area home, with around nine killed in the last 10-or-so months.
Griffith resident Leo Dobes, a member of both the Griffith-Narrabundah Community Association and the Inner South Canberra Community Council, shares the concerns about dangerous driving in the area.
โThere is speeding,โ he says.
โBut the bigger problem is thereโs quite a number of stop signs at dangerous intersections and theyโre totally ignored.
โItโs irresponsible and itโs going to cause an accident someday.โ
Mr Dobes says the issues could be alleviated by more police in the area.
โIโm not an expert on whatโs going to be best for that intersection,โ he says. โWe do need the government to have a good, hard look.โ
The Peafowlers met with City Services Minister Chris Steel in March and are awaiting action on their concerns.
A spokesperson for Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) says the directorate has commenced a traffic study to identify road safety issues in the area, which is expected to be complete in July.
โFollowing this study, TCCS will undertake further engagement with the Narrabundah community,โ they said.
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