Any high speed rail system in the United States will ignore small and medium sized towns in favor of directly connecting large cities which in my opinion is more important. High speed rail will probably follow the highway system, it's best public transportation be condensed in the city so the most riders possible use it. Bikes and walking should be used more often than any subway however.

America's infrastructure is unique in that it was designed around the car, this design has to be destroyed and cannot be retrofitted because humans cannot walk as fast as a car and trains cannot go into the same places as a car either. Banning the sale of gasoline will be a start, and that will hurt lots of people. That's why city living should be mandatory, any other way requires a car.