CityLab Daily: Stuck at the Gateway

Keep up with the most pressing, interesting, and important city stories of the day. Sign up for the CityLab Daily newsletter here.

***

What We’re Following

Austin’s terror: The suspect in Austin’s serial package bombings is dead, but the city remains on edge after two deaths and several more injuries over the past three weeks. Police urge caution, as there may still be bombs left over from the suspect’s last 24 hours. But even with ample evidence that the fear of terrorism in Austin is real, that label hasn’t been formally applied to the bombing campaign. When is “terror” terrorism? CityLab’s Kriston Capps reports.

Tunnel vision: In the final days to avert a government shutdown, the Gateway Tunnel could get a starring role. The replacement rail tunnel system to connect Manhattan and New Jersey may hold up the spending bill in Congress; President Trump has promised to veto the bill if it includes the $900 million allocated this year for the project. Now a compromise bill tucks away $541 million in a yearly appropriation for rail and bridge projects instead. Alon Levy explains the messy politics of this critical project and how to consider its $12.7 billion price tag.

—Andrew Small

More on CityLab

Time for Lunch

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has a new report ranking 20 American cities for ease of operating a food truck. The index is based on the regulatory and financial obligations put on the industry. To whet your appetite, here’s a comparison from the report: It costs just over $5,000 a year in regulatory operating costs to run a food truck in Portland, Oregon (the highest ranked city) compared to nearly $38,000 a year in Boston (the lowest ranked city).

What We’re Reading

The suburban population slowdown, mapped (New York Times)

Could we bribe NIMBYs? (CityMetric)

Buying property with Bitcoin (Curbed)

Inside Airbus’s mad dash to get a robo air taxi off the ground (Fast Company)

The zip codes where gentrification has had the biggest impact (Washington Post)

Welcome to Zucktown. Where everything is just Zucky. (New York Times)

Tell your friends about the CityLab Daily! Forward this newsletter to someone who loves cities and encourage them to subscribe. Send your own comments, feedback, and tips to hello@citylab.com.