It's too bad there is opposition to this idea. And, too bad there is not some driving force behind making this happen.
Here is a video that shows what is possible if a rural region gets behind a trail and embraces the concept. (The total video is about 12 minutes--to get to the actual trail description/discussion and bypass the introduction you can skip ahead to about 2:00)
How awesome would it be for the small communities along this trail to get behind the idea like the folks in New Zealand did and have a well maintained trail all the way from the Metroplex to points in east TX! Can you imagine how many people, (even whole familes) would/could make a mini-vacation or long weekend of biking to Greenville or Paris and back? What would that do for the little towns along the way. . .