Often driver objections turn out to be just plain wrong.

We had some roads put on a "road diet." They went from four lanes (two in each direction) to three (one each direction and a dedicated turn lane) which made the lanes wider, and one stretch accidentally had a white stripe painted on it that looked so much like a bike lane people treated it as such. (Illinois has a legal/political situation that precluded official "bike facilities" of any kind being put there, tho' that's improved immensely and we are getting them now.)
People had hizzy fits and were **sure** there would be congestion, but in fact, traffic flowed more smoothly (since people didn't have to swing around left turners). The planners had taken into account the actual traffic flow and what would work. People like it now -- though a genuinely anti-bicycle candidtate still regales against road diets (they're spreading) calling the middle lane "suicide lane" and gets some support.
Same with rails to trails - people often object ... and then find out that all those fears don't pan out (thugs cruising the paths, litter everywhere) and rich road bike people are visiting their shoppes...
I hope the politicians have the cajones to stick it out and at least find out whether this is good planning or poor instead of listening to prejudiced "fears."