In a down-to-the-wire race, voters wisely gave the city's rail transit project the green light — validating the steel-on-steel system as the more prudent course for Honolulu.

After a divisive and often heated multi-million-dollar campaign, voters opted for a more sensible transportation future. It's a big win for future generations on O'ahu, who will now have a solid transportation alternative to gridlocked highways.

The rail system — part of a multimodal system that includes shuttles, buses, ferries and more — has the fundamental task of moving people, not cars, pushing O'ahu closer to a greener transportation future.

But what happens next is crucial.

With the outcome of the election decided, it's imperative that city, state and community leaders join forces to ensure that Honolulu has the best transit system possible. That means pushing politics and personal agendas aside and working together to complete this project efficiently and effectively.

The last thing that's needed is a string of legal and political challenges that would only serve to tie the project up in court, costing precious time and money. Taxpayers deserve better.

The planned 20-mile transit system, which would have about 19 stops and cost roughly $4.2 billion after adjustments for inflation, is also likely to garner more federal funding. With Hawai'i's entire congressional delegation on board, it's not surprising that the draft environmental impact statement shows the project could receive $1.2 billion in federal dollars, up from earlier projections of $900 million.

That's good news.

Equally encouraging is the potential for this project to add 11,000 jobs here at a time when our island economy could surely use the infusion. And new estimates show a more dramatic increase in congestion relief of up to 23 percent.

Communities along the rail line can now begin planning for their preferred future through transit-oriented development. Each community has the rare opportunity to step up and shape the development on the front end, so that the character and feel of individual neighborhoods are maintained. That's an opportunity that the community should make the most of.

The votes are in; the outcome is clear.

It's time to get rolling on the rail transit project. And it's time for community and elected leaders put O'ahu residents' best interest first and support the island's preferred transportation future by making sure the project stays on the right track.