Road Safety Action International

Safe Road, Save Lives

Monrovia, Liberia Perspective September 2026

An urban proposal for Monrovia

Car-Free Broad Street

Safer roads, stronger corridors, better cities

By Road Safety Action International  |  Policy and design brief

Aerial view of Broad Street at sunset, the corridor glowing with lights and pedestrian activity as it runs toward the water
The corridor at golden hour. Broad Street as a continuous pedestrian spine running from the city centre toward the Mesurado. Concept rendering, not a photograph of existing conditions.

Broad Street is more than one of Monrovia's busiest roads. It is a corridor through Liberia's story, where history, culture, and national identity converge. Yet today that story is experienced from behind the windows of moving vehicles, not on foot.

The Car-Free Broad Street Initiative, developed by Road Safety Action International, would transform Broad Street into a permanent pedestrian heritage boulevard and one of West Africa's most distinctive urban tourism destinations.

The heritage is already there

Providence Island, Providence Baptist Church, the National Museum, the First Executive Mansion precinct, and the Ducor Continental Hotel already sit along this corridor. The challenge has never been a lack of heritage. It is creating the environment for people to experience it.

A car-free Broad Street becomes that environment: a place to walk through Liberia's history, meet local artists and craftspeople, and discover the city at a human pace. It turns Monrovia into a destination in its own right, rather than just a point of arrival.

Already on the corridor

Five landmarks within walking distance of one another

  • Providence Island Landing place of the first settlers
  • Providence Baptist Church Where the declaration of independence was drafted
  • National Museum of Liberia The national collection
  • First Executive Mansion precinct Early seat of the republic
  • Ducor Continental Hotel Landmark of the modern city

Where safety and beauty reinforce each other

The design gives this vision a physical form: a wide pedestrian walkway, shaded seating, tree-lined walkways, and landscaped public spaces that reflect Liberian architectural character rather than generic concrete.

Clearly marked crossings, a dedicated bicycle lane, and traffic-calmed junctions are built directly into the streetscape, so beauty and road safety reinforce one another instead of competing. A greener, tree-shaded corridor also cuts vehicle emissions, reduces urban heat, and supports Liberia's climate resilience goals, showing that tourism infrastructure can be environmentally responsible by design.

Street-level view of a signalised crossing with bollards, planters, a cyclist in a dedicated bike lane, and pedestrians on a wide paved walkway
Safety built in, not added on. Protected crossings, bollards, planters and a dedicated bicycle lane. Concept rendering.

Economic opportunity, by design

Alongside the heritage and environmental gains, the corridor brings real economic opportunity. Modern kiosks give small vendors and entrepreneurs a dignified, permanent place to trade, and new tourism activity supports jobs in hospitality, guiding, crafts, and transport, turning informal hustle into formal enterprise.

Tourism remains the driving force, but the economic ripple it creates strengthens the case for the investment.

Daytime aerial view of a redesigned Broad Street corridor lined with flowering trees, paved plazas and a separated cycle lane
One continuous public space. Trees, plazas and a separated cycle lane give the street a single, legible identity. Concept rendering.
Pedestrians walking along a car-free, tree-lined Broad Street at midday, with shops and kiosks on both sides
Midday. Kiosks give vendors a permanent place to trade, in the middle of the busiest foot traffic in the city. Concept rendering.
Broad Street in the evening, lit by street lamps and festoon lighting, with people walking past open shopfronts and outdoor seating
After dark. Lighting extends the trading day and keeps the corridor usable for families, vendors and visitors alike. Concept rendering.

Investing in something no country can import

Most importantly, the initiative lets Liberia invest in something no country can import: its own identity. Home to Africa's oldest modern republic, Liberia's story deserves a stage worthy of it, built with the design, safety, and environmental care that a national landmark demands.

The question is no longer whether Liberia has enough history to attract the world. It is whether we are ready to build the space that lets the world experience it.

Car-Free Broad Street Initiative

What it will take

Realizing this vision will take thoughtful design, investment, and collaboration between the Liberia National Tourism Authority, Monrovia City Corporation, government, the private sector, communities, and RSAI.

Broad Street does not need to become another famous street in the world. It needs to become the street that tells the world what Liberia is.