KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas is working to get drivers to slow down in a new way.
At first glance, drivers coming up on a crosswalk in western Wyandotte County might think there's something in the road and slow down.
And that's the point.
When approached from the right direction, the crosswalk is painted so it looks like it's coming up from the ground.
Finished last Friday, it's the first in the metro.
The crosswalk comes from the effort of the local homeowner's association, where members were fed up with drivers speeding down the street.
"We are family oriented, and tons of families live in this neighborhood," said resident Brent Smith. "Lots of little kids, myself included."
The city first installed speed limit signs, but neighbors said it wasn't enough.
"They have done some speed studies out here to figure out how fast people were going and try to see what we could do to fix the situation," said Smith.
The eventual fix? A 3D crosswalk.
"This is a location where the sidewalk crosses in the other direction," said Lideana Laboy. "So, we wanted to mark it and kind of calm down the traffic."
City officials found the idea online and thought it would be a good concept for the neighborhood. The new crosswalk costs around $500, a little more more than a normal one.
The city said this is just a test run and hope to put more throughout KCK.
"The drivers are alert to the location where we want everybody crossing and we also want the kids to find the fun out of the markings," said Laboy.
Neighbors think so as well.
"I think it will help. I think lots of things help. It's just one step of many to keep the children and everybody safe in the neighborhood," said Smith.
Public works plans to meet again with the HOA to find out what other improvements could be made and if the crosswalk made a difference.
