Three-dimensional pedestrian crossings will be trialled in Sydney's northern beaches in an effort to improve public safety.

The crossings create an optical illusion by appearing to rise up from the pavement, which research has shown can slow traffic speeds.

The 3D crossings have been trialled across Europe and America but Manly will be the first suburb in NSW to have the innovative crossings.

Boulia, an outback Queensland town, was the first in Australia to install a 3D crossing, with Cairns and Melbourne among a handful of others trialing the worldwide trend.

Transport NSW will paint the crossings onto the road in high traffic areas of Manly from this Sunday and it's expected to be finished by Wednesday.

The removal of the old crossings has already begun.

Driver, pedestrian and community behaviour will be assessed during the first six months of the trial to determine the crossing's effectiveness.

If successful, the Northern Beaches Council will consider painting the crossings in other high pedestrian and vehicle traffic areas across the area.