Today the City Council will reconvene to take another look at the proposal that squeaked by last Wednesday, beginning Honolulu's fixed-guideway transit system with a segment extending from Kapolei to Ala Moana, via Salt Lake Boulevard.

The alignment that intuitively seems most practical — one that would track nearer to Pearl Harbor and the airport — was jettisoned to patch together the required five votes for passage.

Councilmembers since have heard from many constituents angry about that decision. These are voters who want leaders to ratchet down the political rhetoric and show evidence that they've been talking with each other over the intervening week.

Ideally, the initial route should reach closer to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, bringing in students, faculty and staff among the willing riders. A guideway could, in the interest of saving money, end near the bottom of the campus below the freeway and still be useful. Let's not forget: With year-round temperate weather, it's easier to dispense with the luxury of door-to-door service than if this system were serving a colder climate.

Critics of the airport route point out that the system can't cater to tourists with their heavy bags. But tourists have been known to adapt their suitcase-packing strategy to the current conditions; providing them with a quick, affordable means of coming at least close to Waikiki would be a plus. A shuttle could bring them, as well as those who work in the visitor industry, closer to their final destination.

Others have observed that airport transit links frequently come in later phases. That might make sense in cities where airports are located at a remote distance, but not in Honolulu.

And our congressional delegation will have an easier time making the case for funding Honolulu's system if the airport is part of the minimum segment. Federal dollars can be available to help tie local transit in with the airport, too.

Whatever the decision, it must be based on real-life, not political, considerations. Which plan would serve O'ahu best, and will enable the city to move forward promptly? All eyes now rest on councilmembers, who have to answer that question.