A fruitful conclusion to the 2016 legislative session is not yet in sight. But the path to one is becoming clear: The fate of four major bills — bonding, budget, taxes and transportation — hinges on achieving a bipartisan accord on transportation. And a transportation deal can’t be reached without an agreement to fund Metro Transit, including the Southwest light-rail line.

That’s not just the Star Tribune Editorial Board’s view. It’s an assessment of political reality that’s widely shared at the State Capitol. It’s also the urging of the CEOs of a dozen leading corporations, who on these pages last Saturday pleaded for the continued build-out of the metro area’s long-planned network of bus and rail rapid transit service.

The Southwest line (also called the Green Line Extension) is the crucial next step in that network’s construction. Fail this year to provide the $135 million remainder of a state/local match the project requires, and the region’s ability to complete the entire network will be in jeopardy. Minnesota could lose not only $895 million in federal funds for the Southwest line, but also the opportunity to secure federal money for future rapid transit projects.