North America’s First Crosswalk With Lights Embedded In Road

David Shiller September 26, 2024

Candiac, Quebec, Canada now boasts the first “smart” crosswalk in North America with lights embedded into the road surface, to improve pedestrian safety. Before pedestrians enter the crosswalk, sensors are triggered that turn on the lights to increase visibility for drivers to stop. The Candiac crosswalk is outside an elementary school to increase the safety of students, crossing guards, teachers, and parents.

The lighting system is produced by a French company named Flowell, that claims safety is improved by 30%, although the claim is not defined. The lights are visible during the day, night, and during rain. Because the lights are embedded into the road surface, snow plows can operate as usual, to clear the lights and roadway of snow.

The city is planning its second smart, illuminated crosswalk. More information on the Candiac installation can be found here. More information on Flowell, the manufacturer, can be found here.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and Senior Business Development Consultant at Capacity Consulting, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has been co-chair of the ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

See Full Bio