Young students in Medford, Massachusetts, have come up with a brand new innovation for the area: 3D crosswalks. Not only do they look way cooler than regular ol’ 2D crosswalks, but they also make the intersection safer.
The 3D crosswalk is at the intersection of a parking lot and Allston Street at Brooks Elementary School, and it was two students at the school who came up with the idea. Fourth-grader Isa and fifth-grader Eric worked with their teacher and the Brooks Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility to make it happen.
Photo Credit: City of Medford / Mayor’s Office/Facebook
Painters added additional shaded shapes around the normal white stripes of the crosswalk, creating an optical illusion for drivers approaching the intersection. Instead of obviously lying flat on the ground, the white lines appear to be blocks on the street, which prompts drivers to slow down and pay more attention.
“It’s been really well received and there’s a lot of excitement about it,” teacher Michael Coates told The Boston Globe.
Boston artist Nate Swain, well-known for his photo murals around the city, designed the crosswalk. Medford plans to install three more of the same crosswalks in the near future, also outside elementary schools.
3D crosswalks are a first for Medford, and for the Boston area in general, but they’re not a brand new concept. They’re also known as “Iceland crosswalks,” as that country started the trend. They also exist in other cities around the world, including Chicago.
