Each of the three fully or partly realized segments of the Twin Cities light-rail system (two in operation, one under construction) faced formidable obstacles. Yet each project ultimately proceeded.

It would be a surprise, then, if the fourth planned segment — the extension of the Blue Line through the Bottineau Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park — never came to fruition.

It also would be a travesty. This segment would serve some of the metro area's most diverse communities — ones that are most reliant on public transportation but that have been long underserved by it. The project has been disrupted, however, by an issue involving its long-planned route alignment: It was to share space with a freight railroad, and the freight railroad's operator, BNSF, wouldn't get on board. The light-rail line's lead planners think BNSF never will, so they've abandoned negotiations. Realignment to follow. Therein lies an opportunity.

The heading of the 13-mile line from downtown Minneapolis might be characterized as north-by-northwest. North Minneapolis is directly in that path, but the route as envisioned essentially skirts a right angle around it, traveling along Hwy. 55 and Wirth Park west of downtown before re-establishing the diagonal vector through parts of Golden Valley, Robbinsdale and Crystal.

All of those communities fit to varying degrees into what Metropolitan Council Chairman Charlie Zelle terms as an "equity corridor." North Minneapolis, however, fits that description best. The events of 2020 have thrust social justice for disadvantaged populations front and center in the American culture, and here's an opportunity to meet that moment.

But some history is in order, too. Years ago, before the alignment was decided, routes with stops in north Minneapolis were considered. People there, though interested, feared disruption to their neighborhoods — streets reconfigured, parking removed, homes removed. They've since had a chance to see the popularity and community-development potential of other light-rail segments, but those earlier worries won't have vanished. It's worth noting, also, that north Minneapolis has since gained one rapid bus route and that funding is pending on another.

A second possibility for the Bottineau Corridor is a realignment that doesn't share space with BNSF but also doesn't deviate substantially from the original path. This is not a snap-of-the-fingers outcome, but it draws on work already done, and it's not hard to envision it as the most probable.

The third possibility, which doesn't preclude consideration of a partial realignment serving north Minneapolis, is to not quit on the shared portion of original route. This is the stance of officials in the suburban communities served by it. They've invested millions in the configuration, and even small shifts could create safety hazards for their residents in some locations.

They argue that project and elected officials have not leaned hard enough on BNSF. Zelle, for his part, thinks that unleashing the project from the railroad could serve as a kick-start and that it probably should have happened sooner. The railroad's opposition has been consistent, he said, and "eventually you believe, OK, they're serious."

We dare anyone to sort that out without having been in the room, but one key point is that the suburban officials feel they haven't been. In fact, a dearth of top-down communication is common theme that emerges from the situation. It's easy to believe. The Blue Line Extension Corridor Management Committee had not met for a year before convening earlier this month, yet a consequential decision was made in the interim.

The value of building rail lines to move people around continues to be disputed. It's not our purpose to reopen that debate today. Light rail is the backbone of a holistic public transportation system, and the Blue Line extension should and most likely will be built.

A rerouting that directly serves north Minneapolis should be considered. This process must not be allowed to bog down the project, but it also must not be so breezy as to neglect the community. That's a difficult balance.

Meanwhile, communications in general with the project's stakeholders should be improved. And it would help if a champion for the project among Minnesota's top elected leaders were to visibly emerge. When governors and U.S. senators fully leverage their positions, things happen.