The U.S. High Speed Rail Association recently unveiled a proposed map for a 17,000-mile nationwide high-speed rail system. The four-stage project, which would cost about $500 billion to build, could connect 80% of the country's population within a 25-year period, said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The project would "revitalize our economy, reactivate our manufacturing sector, create millions of jobs, end our oil dependency, reduce congestion, and cut our carbon footprint by epic proportions," according to USHSR.