In a few days, the gavels in the state House and Senate chambers will fall and our Legislature will be back in session. It may be one of the most important sessions in recent memory, one that will test the resolve and vision of Hawaii’s political, community and business leadership.

At issue is the fate of Honolulu’s rail project. That’s the question. The answer is clear: If we’re to complete the 20-mile, 21-station project, legislators (with the active support of Gov. David Ige, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the Honolulu City Council) will have to extend the state’s half-percent general excise tax surcharge for rail, perhaps in perpetuity.

I’m a strong supporter of the Honolulu rail project. My company has more than a quarter-century’s experience developing residential communities in Hawaii. I support rail because it gives all of us — residents, business owners, government, landowners and developers — an opportunity to build vital, pedestrian-friendly communities in neighborhoods as diverse as Kapolei, Pearl City, Kalihi and Kakaako.

Just as important, it helps direct the development of needed affordably priced condominiums and rental apartments to places where people live and work. That’s what excites me the most about the community opportunities that come with the Honolulu rail system. It gives us choices we don’t have now, and will never have unless we complete the project as planned.

We also know that these new communities, which will grow around the rail system’s stations, will be extremely attractive to many types of local businesses — restaurants, dry cleaners, florists, specialty shops, convenience stores, and bakeries, just to name a few. In fact, we believe the Honolulu rail project will be one of Oahu’s major economic drivers for years to come, long after the last station is completed.

There are practical reasons to support the Honolulu rail project. The horrific state of traffic on our highways to and from West Oahu is one such reason. Rail isn’t the only answer, but it’s an important part of the solution. And are we really going to say no to extending an existing tax and in the process say yes to Honolulu residents repaying $1.5 billion to the federal government?

Add to this the recent change in leadership at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Lawmakers rightly will want evidence that HART’s financial projections are grounded in reality. Under the leadership of the agency’s board of directors and its new and experienced interim chief executive, HART will soon have the opportunity to make that clear at the Capitol.

I believe we have community consensus about the need to complete the rail project as planned. Numerous public polls show strong support for the project. In fact, Caldwell’s reelection was in part a message from Oahu voters to finish the rail project as planned. Many community groups and most of our business leaders back rail. Key elected officials — at the federal, state and county levels — are clear in their support of rail.

Now is the time for these supporters, and others, to step forward and make their voices heard at the Capitol. I’ll be there. I’m inviting all who feel as I do that rail is our most important public project in many generations to join me, too.

Stanford Carr is the president of Honolulu-based Stanford Carr Development, which was formed in 1990.