Columbus Program Boosts Gay Street Business Traffic

Downtown establishments are leveraging a new incentive program to offset reduced foot traffic from ongoing construction.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Bold vector editorial illustration of a stylized storefront facade and structural column, representing city business support programs. — Downtown Columbus Inc. and Experience Columbus have launched a new digital incentive program to drive customer traffic to twenty businesses on Gay Street during ongoing Capital Line construction. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you believe local programs are effective at supporting businesses during major city construction projects?

Downtown Columbus Inc. and Experience Columbus have launched the Downtown Discovery Pass to support 20 businesses on Gay Street during the Capital Line construction. The digital program incentivizes customer visits to help mitigate the impact of reduced foot traffic in the area.

Why it matters

Construction activity has noticeably reduced customer traffic for local operators. The pass provides a structured mechanism to maintain engagement and revenue flows while heavy infrastructure work continues nearby.

The program features 20 participating businesses along Gay Street, offering customers a $25 gift card after they check into eight distinct locations. This initiative serves as a localized response to infrastructure disruptions in the downtown core.

The players

Downtown Columbus Inc.

A non-profit organization dedicated to the economic development and management of the downtown area.

Experience Columbus

The destination marketing organization responsible for driving tourism and local visitation to the city.

The details

The program functions through a mobile check-in system that tracks customer visits to participating restaurants, shops, and galleries. By gamifying the experience, organizers aim to sustain patronage for businesses currently struggling with access issues caused by the Capital Line construction. The project is currently in the utility enablement phase, with the physical path expected to eventually span two miles.

2027: Phase one of the Capital Line is expected to open.

Market Landscape

This incentive program follows a pattern of municipal efforts to stabilize small-business revenue during multi-year infrastructure overhauls. It sits specifically within the context of the Capital Line project, a two-mile development intended to reshape connectivity in downtown Columbus.

Operators in areas with significant infrastructure projects should track the efficacy of this pass as a model for sustaining foot traffic. Businesses should consider whether such collaborative marketing tools can help bridge the gap until major construction phases conclude.

The takeaway

Collaborative digital incentives can serve as a vital stopgap to preserve customer loyalty during lengthy construction cycles. Owners should monitor the check-in data from this program to identify which categories of businesses attract the most resilient foot traffic.