Why are so many "walkable cities" types obsessed with rebuilding America's rail system? HSR won't make cities more walkable.
Seems like the optimal solution is walking/metro/bike lanes for urban centers, cars for suburban, rural, and interstate travel, and planes for long-distance.
Rail is basically obsolete with cheap airlines and a decent highway system, and any money that would be spent on intercity rail could be much better spent somewhere else.