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EditorialOff the News

Off the News: CDC advises a good mask in transit

It’s official: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends mask-wearing on planes, buses and trains, in airports and stations, for all Americans ages 2 and older.

While not a mandate, Tuesday’s announcement underlines the logic of mask-wearing, particularly in crowded and indoor spaces; if you wear one, you’re doing the right thing. Coronavirus infections have been rising, and are projected to spread more widely. A well-fitting mask rated highly for protective filtration, such as an N95- or a KN95-rated mask, best protects you and those around you.

Business tax incentives along rail line

It is good that the conversation has begun at City Hall about possible tax incentives for businesses along the rail line. But there are a lot of questions.

Would they be needed all along the 20-mile line, or only where development requires nudging? And how have other cities structured them so the tax revenue reduction pays off? There are lots of studies of other cities that should inform the discussion.

Meanwhile, what will surely draw the businesses will be a completed rail system, properly built.

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