Imagine Wadi Musa at sunset: instead of honking taxis and exhaust fumes, the tourism street – now stone-paved and car-free – brims with café tables, dancers in traditional dress, and the gentle melody of an oud. Tourists and families stroll freely, children run safely between shops, and local vendors display handicrafts under lantern-lit trees. This vision need not be a dream. Today, by contrast, Wadi Musa’s narrow touristic avenue is choked with vehicles: buses disgorge streams of visitors, taxis double-park amid impatient drivers, and restaurant terraces jostle with gridlocked traffic. For those drawn to Petra’s wonders, the town’s gateway feels like an obstacle course of idling cars rather than a warm welcome.

 

Wadi Musa already hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The ancient city of Petra saw about 291,000 tourists in the first seven months of 2025, a majority foreign – with pre-pandemic peaks over a million in 2019. Many pass through Wadi Musa’s centre seeking refreshments, souvenirs, or transport, but find parking scarce and engines roaring. A local study confirms what everyone feels: “the increasing tourist activities in the area caused traffic jams and made it difficult to find parking places especially in business areas”. Traffic isn’t just inconvenient – it’s unsafe and wastes precious time. Every day schoolchildren dodge impatient cars and elderly pedestrians live with constant noise and pollution. Yet beneath this congestion lies enormous untapped potential.

 

We can reclaim the tourism street as a cultural destination and economic engine, not merely a road. Reimagining it as a pedestrian boulevard – with restaurants, cafés, and cultural spaces spilling out onto widened sidewalks – will transform the town’s atmosphere and prosperity. Around the world, walkable, car-free centres boost local economies. Research shows “walkable environments are not just healthier but also wealthier: … improved walkability [raises] local retail spend, enhanced value of local services and goods and the creation of more job opportunities”. In practical terms, visitors who linger on foot are more likely to buy local crafts, eat at cafés, and attend shows. In Amman’s Rainbow Street project, for example, planners delivered “an enjoyable pedestrian-friendly promenade” of about 1.5 km, complete with seating, lookouts and cultural nodes – a space enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Wadi Musa could enjoy a similar renaissance.

 

Culturally, a pedestrian tourism street could be a living stage for Jordan’s heritage. Picture evening performances of Bedouin poetry, or a small open-air museum alongside a cafe. A local shopkeeper might muse that such a plaza would entice visitors to stop and stay: “When cars dominate the road, everyone rushes by. If people could sit and enjoy, they’d notice our pottery, our stories – and spend their money here,” says one veteran artisan. In fact, tourists increasingly seek “unique urban environments” alongside natural wonders. No one comes to Petra just to walk a bleak parking lot. They crave the ambience of place – stone fountains, colourful awnings, and the mingled scents of mint tea and Za’tar. A pedestrian mall would give Wadi Musa a sense of place befitting the one-of-a-kind site it serves.

 

Environmentally, the benefits are clear. Every bus or taxi removed from the narrow strip means cleaner air for families and fresher nights for businesses. Jordan’s own tourism authority is already embracing greener travel: the Petra Development Authority has committed to electric vehicles for the nightly “Petra by Night” tours, noting that EVs “reduce environmental pollution and preserve the natural beauty” of the site. Similarly, a car-free tourism street will cut emissions right where people live and work. Studies elsewhere confirm that slowing traffic by just 5–10 mph can boost nearby property values by roughly 20 per cent (by cutting noise and fumes). In other words, this investment pays dividends in health and in living standards for Wadi Musa.

 

Safety and walkability go hand in hand. With cars gone, children could walk to school, elderly residents could mingle without fear of speeding vehicles, and everyone from schoolgirls in hijab to tour operators in sneakers could meet on equal footing. The crowded, chaotic street of today would become a vibrant public square, with shade trees and benches where once there were tail-lights. This is not pie in the sky. It’s what transport and urban experts have long recommended: wide pavements, one-way traffic or pedestrianisation, and vibrant street-level uses to enliven city centres.

 

Finally, let us remember Wadi Musa’s role: the gateway to Petra, Jordan’s crown jewel. Any traveller’s last memory upon leaving should be a warm Jordanian street scene, not traffic stress. By day, families would pause for falafel and Knafeh under fabric canopies; by night the street could host festivals celebrating Bedouin song or Jordan’s national heritage. Imagine a little girl from Amman joining her parents in dancing the dabke beside Petra’s entrance, all safely away from cars. This mix of economy and culture is exactly what makes walkable cities thrive.

 

The time has come to make this vision real. Wadi Musa’s downtown deserves more than just road repairs, it deserves a bold redesign. I call on local leaders, the Petra Tourism Authority, and development partners: organise a participatory plan to pedestrianize the tourism street. Bring together business owners, community groups, and engineers to sketch cafés and galleries where cars now idle. Let’s draw on proven successes like Amman’s Rainbow Street while respecting Wadi Musa’s own character. With modest investment – parking structures at the edge, wide sidewalks, trees, and lighting, we can create a joyful heart for Petra’s visitors and Wadi Musa’s people alike.

 

Wadi Musa has long suffered under the weight of its own success. By shifting gears to a people-centred street, we would turn congestion into prosperity, danger into delight. The street’s transformation would be more than an infrastructure upgrade – it would be a declaration that Jordan values its heritage and its citizens’ well-being, even at its busiest intersection. Let’s make Wadi Musa a model of modern, sustainable tourism: a place where heritage meets hospitality, and every footstep tells a story.

 

This is our chance to reclaim Wadi Musa’s heart. When the calls from shopkeepers and citizens start flowing, and tourists express their admiration, the message will be loud and clear: let the cars yield to life. Wadi Musa, with its proud history as the gateway to Petra, can become a destination in its own right, a safe and lively public realm. The ingredients are all here: a unique culture, a strategic location, and the enthusiasm of the people. Now let us walk forward together toward this brighter, pedestrian-friendly future.

 

Call to action: If you agree that the tourism street should be reborn as a pedestrian paradise, make your voice heard. Talk to the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, to Members of Parliament, and civic associations. Share the vision: a world-class pedestrian boulevard, not a car boulevard, at the gate of Petra. Together, we can turn congestion into community, and traffic into tradition.