The Bellevue Reporter reports that the Bellevue city council will not spend any more money studying the "B7" light-rail route through South Bellevue. That route---favored by a four-member majority of the council, but rejected by Sound Transit because it's more expensive, and serves fewer people, than the agency's preferred "B2" route---would bypass the South Bellevue park and ride, crossing the Mercer Slough wetland and traveling up abandoned rail right-of-way east of I-405 (and far away from Bellevue's residential and job centers)>

Studying B7 has already cost the city of Bellevue more than $700,000, but additional studies could have cost the city a total of $3 million or more.

"The council decided that a finalized version of the interim report released last month by Arup North America would be enough to show to Sound Transit and the public as a way to persuade the transportation body to change its mind" and consider B7, the newspaper reports .