OKC economic "portfolio"

[JAW]

The population mean center of the United States is pulling away from South-Central Missouri to the West and South, making Oklahoma the future population mean. I would love it if the state of Oklahoma, federal government, city of OKC, private investors, some combination thereof, somehow someway put together a high speed (~200 mph) rail hub with OKC at the center. North-South line (Canada to Mexico), NW-SE line (Vancouver/Seattle to Miami), W-E line (San Fran to DC), NE-SW line (Boston to LA/San Diego), tying the country by high speed rail, OKC the heart. Make the rail (or rails) both passenger and freight.

Pie in the sky, and I assume it would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, but even if there was a possibility of baby steps that would encourage future investments and ostensibly force the powers that be, whatever they may be, to take a mustard seed of investment in high speed infrastructure initiated by OKC or the state of OK seriously for future support and expansion...that would be an economic gamechanger.

[Just the facts]

JAW - the problem is the distance that have to be covered. Even if the train was able to reach a top speed of 300 mph it would take all day to reach Seattle - assuming you stop in Denver and Salt Lake City. HSR works well for trips under 300 miles but air travel is much better after that. I think a regional HSR model would work well.

Piedmont System
Birmingham/Atlanta/Charlotte

Sunshine System
Jacksonville/Orlando/Tampa/Miami

Gulf Coast System
Mobile/New Orleans/Houston

Southern Plains System
San Antonio/Austin/DFW/OKC/Wichita

Ozark System
Tulsa/Little Rock/Kansas City

etc...

These system would then be connected to each other by local rail systems. For instance, to leave the Southern Plains System to get to Kansas City (Ozark System) you we need to go to Tulsa first. Once in Tulsa you could catch non-stop HSR to Kansas City. The speed of the local connector system would be up to the serice provider. If the State so chose, you could go HSR from OKC to Tulsa.