Which transition word best connects the ideas in this paragraph?

ever since central city airport petitioned the council to build a new runway, calls to my office have increased more than 75 percent. the vast majority of my constituents do not support the airport's expansion. they expressed concerns about noise pollution, traffic gridlock, and danger to the migratory habitat near the proposed runway.
a. nonetheless
b. lastly
c. yet
d. rather

Ever since Central City Airport petitioned the council to build a new runway, calls to my office have increased more than 75 percent. The vast majority of my constituents do not support the airport's expansion. , they expressed concerns about noise pollution, traffic gridlock, and danger to the migratory habitat near the proposed runway.

D. Rather

The transition word that best connects the ideas in the paragraph is letter D. rather.

Explanation:

The speaker in this paragraph explains that he has been receiving more calls in his office due to the petition to build a new runway by an airport. He proceeds to explain that the vast majority of the people are against the runway. The way he says it, people "do not support the airport's expansion". Instead of supporting it, they express their concerns.

Ever since Central City Airport petitioned the council to build a new runway, calls to my office have increased more than 75 percent. The vast majority of my constituents do not support the airport's expansion. Rather, they expressed concerns about noise pollution, traffic gridlock, and danger to the migratory habitat near the proposed runway.

He is mentioning what people are doing. They are doing this instead of doing that. The transitional word that best expresses that idea is rather. Nonetheless and yet would be appropriate if he were mentioning that, despite not supporting the expansion, people see the advantages. Lastly would appropriate if the speaker had been listing items or events in a sequence. At no point did he do that (there is not a "firstly" for there to be a "lastly").

either a donut or a sphere or a pancake or a flat sphere. it depends on where the vertical line is.

if the line goes through the center of the circle and is perpendicular to a diameter containing the center, then you get a flat circle.

if the line and the diameter of a the circle meet in the center of the diameter and at an angle, you get a pancake.

if the line is on the circumference of the circle and is at right angles   to the circle you get a ring.

if the line contains the diameter, you get a sphere.

the the line is parallel to the diameter and touches the circumference, you get a donut.

explanation:

it refers to the definition of full-contact sports, where the condition is that the sport must have athletes must "purposely collide with each other