Greens Senator Bob Brown once said tourists walking from Civic to Parliament House "end up running for their lives" and "scrambling up banks through trees" such is the unfriendly nature of the road and path network, particularly around Capital Hill.
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He has long championed a pedestrian pathway from Civic to Parliament House and now the soon-to-retire senator may be able to claim it as part of his political legacy.
The Federal Government has not yet agreed to fund the construction of the path.
But there is $100,000 in the kitty to find out whether it can or should be built - a feasibility study for a Parliament House Walk.
Senator Brown has for years been calling for a direct, uninterrupted walkway, saying Parliament House is "the iconic building of the nation's capital and the pivot of democracy, and visitors to Canberra should be able to easily access it".
"The existing route is an obstacle course and a clear walkway would be a tremendous boon for tourists and pedestrians," he said.
The ACT Government also supports the project, with Roads ACT considering signage for the walk as part of a broader signage project.
"With Canberra celebrating its centenary in 2013, the Parliament House Walk has the potential to be a great birthday present", Senator Brown said.