"One exciting ripple effect of President Barack Obama's commitment to high-speed rail, which he demonstrated with an $8 billion pledge in federal stimulus money, is the promise of economic development in the areas surrounding transit hubs. The promise is real and has been demonstrated around the world in countries where high-speed rail is established. High-speed rail draws people from all walks of life. Business travelers and tourists for sure, and pretty much everyone else: According to a recent survey conducted by HNTB, the average person needing to make trips from 100 to 500 miles would choose high-speed rail over air and passenger car if travel time and fares were about equal." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet