City Times Staff

The pedestrian crosswalk in front of the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum has been chosen for the future space of a “creative crosswalk”.

In an effort to bring yet another tourist-friendly element to the Downtown District, Mayor Mike Wiza said he plans to post signs on either side of the crosswalk, which is located in a 15-mile-per-hour speed zone, encouraging pedestrians to cross “in a silly or otherwise creative fashion”.

The crosswalk itself will not be altered, Wiza said, but an all-weather camera will be mounted to a nearby lamp post so the crosswalk — and those crossing it creatively — can be live-streamed 24/7. With any luck, Wiza said, users will invite their friends to watch the crossing via the live-stream, and the crosswalk will be tagged via Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, indirectly helping the city’s downtown become a more popular destination for both tourists and locals.

Wiza said the idea was sparked after seeing a similar live-stream feed on a website from somewhere in Europe, and was reminiscent of the Beatles’ Abby Road album cover.

According to Wiza, Wildcard Corp., a Stevens Point-based hosting company, will be assisting with the project, though the exact terms have not yet been decided.

Wiza said he estimates the cost of signs for either side of the crosswalk to be “about 50 bucks” a piece. No timeline for sign or camera installation has yet been released, as Wiza said he’s still working out some of the details.