Plans to extend light rail from Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond are under fire from critics who could derail the project before it gets traction.

Bellevue community groups want the trains to take circuitous routes that avoid their neighborhoods but would add distance and travel time. Downtown wants a costly tunnel that could swallow the projecdt budget. A shorter line would end at Microsoft’s campus instead of reaching the shopping, office and housing core in central Redmond.

This project should be governed by a long-term view of ridership and how it will shape the region. That means choosing the shortest route through Bellevue that gets to the living and employment centers fastest. Considering that downtown Bellevue is already highly congested and that finances are limited, an elevated route may make sense there and elsewhere along the route. See Vancouver’s SkyTrain. Over the long term, property owners are likely to see values soar with proximity to the transit corridor.