Tobacco Trail: Trail or Paved Path?

I recently came across this nicomachus.net blog, which has a category of posts about the ATT, and saw this old post which almost made me throw up in my mouth: "The Outspokin' Cyclist: To pave or gravel part of biking trail under debate".

Check out these quotes from the posting, which quotes from a Phillip Barron
article in The Herald Sun from the Fall of 05.

• Chris Sevick to The Herald Sun: "Given the long distances that the trail connects, it would be more efficient to use a road bike on a paved trail..."
  
  Me: Well duh! But then the ATT would not be a trail, but a paved path. I sure hope the awesome natural beauty of the southern parts of the ATT don't get spoiled by paving, as the northern Durham section is.
  
  
• Bob Morris, vice president of the mountain bike club NC Fats, says that if the existing Wake County section of the ATT is an example of how the rest of the trail might be finished, he wouldn't want to ride it either. The loose, softer trail surface attracts equestrians, but the impact of the horses' hooves contributes to the fairly steady erosion of the trail. The ATT is pocked with rough sections that, even on a "cushy" full-suspension mountain bike, leave the trail difficult to ride, Morris says.
  
  Me: Wait just a second...did you say VP of the mountain bike club or the bike sissy club? What mountain bike owner is worried about the cushiness of his ride? I have been on nearly every mile of the trail personally, and I've seen plenty of hoof prints, but certainly nothing that I would even notice on a mountain bike or even on my runs.
  
  
• "So, if like Sevick, you've ever wished that you could continue riding your bike the entire length of the planned 23 miles of greenway"...
  
  Me: Then I would suggest you get a bike with a tire that is more than 1 inch in width. I sympathize with those cyclists who would use the trail as a commuter path (its a great alternative to riding on the road), but its not worth sacrificing the beauty of the current southern trails. Go out and buy a beefier bike, especially if you are a member of a mountain biking club.