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The time is fast approaching for key decisions on one of the most important transportation projects of the first quarter of this century, the Bethesda to New Carrollton transit link known as the Purple Line.

This 16-mile route, which would slash travel times on an east-to-west corridor inside the Beltway, is arguably the most hotly contested project in the Maryland suburbs since the Intercounty Connector, the east-west toll road being built north of the Beltway.

Questions remain about the path a Purple Line should follow, whether it is a bus or rail system, how to cover the billion-dollar-plus price tag in lean budget times and impacts on nearby land and the environment.

There should be no dispute about the need and demand. Not only will a reliable and efficient public transportation system provide an incentive for commuters to park their cars, the nearly two dozen stops along the line will afford easier connections to the larger network of Metrorail, bus transit centers and MARC commuter rail.

Without the relief valve that a transit line could provide, drive times on the Beltway between Bethesda and College Park, for example, are projected to nearly double in the next 25 years to almost an-hour-and-a-half. A Purple Line ride is expected to take less than 40 minutes, and there would be at least one station stop on the University of Maryland's main campus.

With last week's federal approval of a Metrorail Silver Line, connecting with the Orange Line and running 23 miles to Washington Dulles International Airport, attention can turn to other pieces vital to the build out of a holistic, regional rail and bus system that allows seamless transfers between trains and buses.

Proximity to a transit line also opens attractive residential and commercial development opportunities in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in keeping with long-stated government "Smart Growth" initiatives that encourage building around transit stops in more urban areas.

Ever since the possibilities of a Purple Line or downcounty Bethesda-to-Silver Spring trolley line re-emerged in the 1980s, the concept has stoked a sometimes unsavory class-warfare discussion, pitting poorer communities that would benefit from easier transit connections against wealthier neighborhoods that fear intrusions. An unyielding "not-in-my-backyard" sentiment is detrimental to the bigger picture of managing growth and congestion in a metropolitan region. Studies have shown there are options to build a transit line without wiping out popular trails used by hikers and cyclists or decimating to a Connecticut Avenue golf course that could be bisected by the project.

In recent weeks, lobbying has intensified to get the project in the queue for federal and state funding after another period for public comments comes to a close early next year. Support appears to be coalescing among a key group of state legislators from Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as well as the Montgomery County Council, for a light rail line rather than busways.

A rail system carries much higher upfront costs but promises greater flexibility for expansion. Absent firm cost estimates — a dozen years ago the price was around $250 million and has increased almost sixfold — a rail system appears to be the better choice at this time.

Chances of winning federal dollars are enhanced by unified support of elected leaders and the communities they represent. With a new federal administration looking to pour billions of dollars into transportation projects and infrastructure, a loud voice of support for the Purple Line will carry far. Derailing this project should not be an option.