Many growing major metropolitan regions are weighing the pros and cons of developing extensive high speed rail lines in efforts to serve the needs of their swelling populations and expanding urban infrastructure systems. The Great Lakes region offers a look at the challenges involved in such endeavors. Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, says these systems can provide environmental benefits but also present the challenge of maintaining the high ridership needed to make them economically viable.