Obstacle illusions: Beaumont to debut 3D crosswalks

3D crosswalk coming to Beaumont The City of Beaumont will be the first in western Canada to test out 3D crosswalks. CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports.

Beaumont is taking a different view on pedestrian safety by installing a pair of 3D crosswalks where the lines appear to float in the air.

Dubbed 'obstacle illusions' by many, the new crossings wiil be painted in a way to present drivers with a virtual, visual signal to stop.

"When you're driving along, you see something different," said Beaumont Mayor John Stewart. "It's a little bit different and so it causes you to slow, stop."

Montreal has also tried the futuristic look for some of its crosswalks.

The city says it plans to keep the 3D crosswalks in for a year before re-evaluating their future.

"We want to see how they wear and tear. We want to see how drivers react to them," said Stewart.

At $1,000 each, the new crosswalks cost about $400 more than the standard crossings and will be installed when the weather improves.