In a perfect Triangle, a commuter rail system more than 10 years in the planning already would have some trains running. Instead, it looks as though a completely new rail transit plan for the Triangle region will have to be developed to replace one that is suddenly defunct.

Faced with hard realities in Washington, the Triangle Transit Authority has decided to drop a bid for federal money that was supposed to be the project's mainstay. That sends the TTA scurrying to come up with a workable approach to regional mass transit that can help alleviate highway congestion that already reaches choking levels.

It's unfortunate that the rail system long envisioned by the TTA has hit a funding barrier. But the region now has a chance to take a fresh approach, correct some mistakes and emerge with an even better solution.

It already was clear that the TTA's project was in trouble, even if laying blame is about as easy as nailing Jell-O to a wall. The agency had cut back on the number of stations on its proposed line between Raleigh and Durham and deflated ridership projections in its zeal to hold down the system's costs. The Federal Transit Administration changed the rules for federal funding late in the planning process, while the region's legislative delegation provided scant leadership on state or local funding alternatives.

So much went wrong that returning to basics now makes sense. An independent assessment of the Triangle's transportation future is needed, as is wider public representation in the strategic choices to be made.

Urgent business

What the Triangle definitely does not need is another costly decade of planning. People are moving here every day. With 80,000 more vehicles expected to be traveling Interstate 40 on a daily basis in 25 years, widening won't be enough to keep traffic flowing on that highway between the Durham Freeway and Wake County's Outer Loop.

Even while urban growth is a fact of life here, the transportation calculus is changing dramatically. Gas prices are pushing up the cost of car transportation at a time when more people are talking about moving toward city centers.

Both are factors that work in favor of public transportation. Fares become more competitive when stacked against expensive gas and car maintenance costs. Moving people who are concentrated in urban areas is less expensive than ferrying them between suburbs.

New development, too, can improve prospects for the use of public transportation. That's undoubtedly why a Raleigh developer, Cherokee Investment Partners, is pursuing a possible joint venture with the TTA to build residential and commercial structures at all 12 stops in the planned rail system. "The transit system will occur," Cherokee chief executive Tom Darden told The N&O's Bruce Siceloff. "It's just a question of when and how it's funded."

As Siceloff reports, the Federal Transit Administration wants to encourage public-private collaborations. That could lead to some federal support for a rail system built by the TTA and Cherokee together. But at this point, local leaders would be wise not to limit their planning.

New voices, new looks

The Triangle region needs to speak with one voice on transit. The TTA, an agency with regional representation, ought to consider commissioning a new consultant to gain a fresh perspective. Elected officials from Wake, Durham and Orange, as well as from the ring of surrounding counties, ought to receive a thorough, up-to-date hearing on their future transportation needs.

New economic factors and changing development patterns ought to be figured into options that could include stepped-up investment in the regional bus system as well as rail. The consultant also ought to look at once-discarded alternatives for rail, such as a link to Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The TTA's system was designed to link, in its first phase, the downtowns of Raleigh and Durham via Cary and the employment hub at Research Triangle Park. A subsequent phase would extend service to Chapel Hill.

But in an effort to limit costs, the rail line as first envisioned was truncated to leave out stations in North Raleigh and west Durham. At the same time, several booming communities -- Wake Forest, Clayton and Knightdale, for example -- weren't included in the plan at all. Now there is an opportunity to reconfigure a transit plan that would better fit the region's growth patterns. Further, the use of highway rights-of-way as conduits for rail or dedicated bus lanes should be examined. The rail system as proposed has been limited to an existing rail corridor.

As it proceeds to re-examine these issues, the TTA above all needs to chart a course with legislators and municipal leaders at the table. Whatever strategies emerge must serve the people's long-term needs and have the commitment of a majority of their leaders. By returning to the drawing board briefly, the Triangle can move forward -- and that's the direction in which it needs to go.