Light rail is on people's minds in Bellevue and that includes new mayor Don Davidson.

I talked to him Tuesday, the day after his election, and he answered some questions for a story here.

For those interested in more discussions of light rail, Davidson had some additional observations about the impact the new Bellevue City Council makeup could have, which includes new members Jennifer Robertson and Kevin Wallace. Sound Transit is currently studying a preferred alignment that runs up Bellevue Way and two possible routes downtown: a surface option and a tunnel.

Last year the council recommended in a 4-3 vote a surface route along Bellevue Way and a downtown tunnel, which still needs funding. Davidson supported the tunnel, but preferred an option that bypassed Bellevue Way and instead would run on a rail corridor adjacent to I-405.

"There was a 4-3 split, and now that's reversed itself," Davidson said. "How that plays out I don't know. It's something that people should be listening to."

Davidson would like to take a closer look at an elevated line, known as the Vision Line, proposed by Wallace that also includes an alternative to a downtown tunnel. It would run along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks and then 114th Avenue Northeast, parallel to I-405.

"I do feel it should have a fair and comprehensive look," Davidson said. "The other thing is we maybe could get to Redmond if we used a surface system. There's a lot of aspects that need to be totally evaluated. ... I think this is going to have a good airing, at least in Bellevue."

He dislikes the idea that Bellevue would have to pay for its tunnel.

"Beacon Hill was paid for by Sound Transit and the federal government," Davidson said. "It's much longer doing a deep tunnel under Beacon Hill than what we're talking about in Bellevue. This attitude Bellevue has to pay extra doesn't seem to be fair and balanced as a region."