Parent Jolanda Williams said the bollard, which is on State High 8 near Molyneux Park, was damaged by a passing vehicle on Wednesday morning.
She said it was yet another reason why a zebra crossing was needed in the area.
''You can just imagine if a kid was there when the car hit the pole,'' Mrs Williams said.
She and another parent, Dora Bartle, had been spearheading the campaign to have a safer crossing installed on the highway near Molyneux Stadium and Gregg St.
It would allow safe passage for children and residents living on the Clutha River side of the highway to access schools and community facilities on the other side.
To slow traffic, the New Zealand Transport Agency planned to install an island crossing with painted flush medians at the entrance of Molyneux Stadium and Gregg St early next year.
It would not install a zebra crossing because results of a feasibility study carried out in June, which looked at traffic and pedestrian volumes, did not justify it.
In response to the damage, NZTA Otago senior network manager John Jarvis said he did not know how it happened but he was in contact with the police about it.
He said Mrs Williams had offered to carry out her own survey asking people if they supported a zebra crossing.
The agency would also carry out another independent traffic survey in spring to assess the volume of traffic and pedestrians in the area.
New measures to help slow traffic, including installing pedestrian warning signs for motorists and new reflective painting, would also be carried out within the next two weeks.
Central Otago sub-area supervisor Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk said no reports had been received in relation to the damage, but the NZTA was ''making efforts'' to repair it.
Resident Daphne Johnston, who lives in Gregg St, said she had seen ''near misses'' regularly and a zebra crossing should be installed.
But all parties, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, had to be ''patient'' with each other and ''communicate with each other'' about the issue, she said.
