The release late last week of proposed routes and transit stops for a potential rail system is an encouraging sign that the city plans to keep voters, taxpayers and potential transit riders in the loop as early and as often as possible.

That's important as the city moves forward in considering a host of transit alternatives.

And this early look at potential stops shows that planners have recognized that a mass transit system must serve the day-to-day needs of the folks who will pay for it.

So it makes sense that all routes begin in the burgeoning second city of Kapolei, move through the densely populated urban center of Honolulu, and end at a major destination point — the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

One of the routes includes a spur into Waikiki, which should be a no-brainer. What's the point of any system that does not go to the major visitor and employment center of the island?

Likewise, proposed stops at the airport and Aloha Stadium are also key.

Transit stops must be selected on the basis of convenience to users and ability to generate the largest volume of riders, not outside interests.

While information on the potential routes and stops is important and useful to have at any juncture, it is also crucial that the city make good on its promise to seriously and carefully consider all transit alternatives.

As far as we know, no decision has been made on what technology (including refreshed use of existing bus services) will be used, what the ridership will be and how much the proposed system will cost and whether the tax hike will be enough to sustain it.

Linear, increasingly congested Honolulu would seem to be an ideal candidate for a mass transit system.

But voters and taxpayers should understand: This is the easy part of the project. Before a decision is made, we must have hard, realistic numbers on costs, ridership, technology and the relative value of all alternatives.