Joe Zavone raised the idea of a school zone to improve the safety of St Edmund's and St Clare's College students with ACT Roads Minister Chris Steel in February last year.

Mr Steel said in a letter to Mr Zavone that school zones generally operated on roads with direct active school frontages where pedestrian and public transport activities were concentrated.

"Canberra Avenue is an arterial road with limited school frontage and given its proximity to residential areas as well the school is signposted with a reduced speed limit of 60km/h," Mr Steel said.

Last week the School Safety Program director confirmed that a consultant had been engaged to consider what could be done to improve safety for pedestrians.

This was seven months after an initial meeting at the school.

Mr Zavone said it was disappointing that it had taken almost a year to begin work on the traffic study.

"It's encouraging to to even hear that phrase "pedestrians on Canberra Avenue" because Minister Steel's comment in the initial letter that there's limited direct, active school frontage on Canberra Avenue is completely incorrect and disregarded all of the students that live in Kingston who have no way to get to school except to cross Canberra Avenue," Mr Zavone said.

Some students from both schools need to cross the road to catch buses on Wentworth Avenue.

"Hopefully this consultant and the study that they have initiated will come up with a solution, but it's got to be a real solution," Mr Zavone said.

"Even with cars moving along at 60 km/h it's still a dangerous situation, especially in those peak times in the morning and in the afternoon."

When Mr Steel was asked why it had taken almost year to begin the study, an ACT government spokesman said the School Safety Program had been working with a large number of schools and the consultation process took longer than anticipated.

"A consultant is currently finalising the investigations and will shortly provide advice to Transport Canberra and City Services on improvements at a number of schools, including improvements on Canberra Avenue near St Edmund's College and St Clare's College," the spokesman said.

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Mr Zavone's preferred solution is to have a school zone to slow traffic to 40km/h during school drop off and pick up times.

"I think going from 60 to 40 shouldn't make a huge difference in traffic flow, but it will make a difference in students being able to cross safely," he said.

Other solutions could include an overpass or traffic lights, however a pedestrian crossing would be dangerous, the principal said.

"It is an arterial road but it's also the road that our students cross to get to school so there's got to be some good compromise there."

When asked if the ACT government would consider putting in a school zone on this section of Canberra Avenue, the spokesman said each school environment was different and the treatments used to increase safety for pedestrians was varied.

"Speed and traffic volumes and the age of students are all important factors when considering the type of improvements around schools," the spokesman said.

"The consultant will consider a number of potential treatments to improve pedestrian safety on Canberra Avenue, including reduced speed limits."

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