A Montreal borough is trying out three-dimensional crosswalks in the hope that the eye-catching optical illusion will make the streets safer for pedestrians.

Outremont repainted a crosswalk at Bernard Avenue and Champagneur Avenue on Tuesday with boxes that appear to be rising above the road. A second crosswalk will also be repainted as part of the pilot project.

Outremont borough councilor Mindy Pollak told CTV Montreal she believes the markings will make drivers pause and think, “Oh, let me slow down a second, what is this new marking?”

“The goal of this is to increase pedestrian safety, decrease the number of accidents, increase visibility of crosswalks, slow down drivers,” she said.

It’s not clear whether the new design actually works. In fact, one study by a master’s student at Western Michigan University found 3D crossings do not significantly improve safety.

Still, the idea has been spreading from India to China to Iceland, and residents of Outremont seemed to feel it was worth a try.

“It's a dangerous corner,” one woman said.

With a report from CTV Montreal’s Matt Grillo