Bruce:

Your best hope is a popular uprising.  If enough people are against the
upgrade, the local government is likely to respond.  But if the
improvement is in the interest of public safety and you are trying to
preserve the experience of driving slow...?  You are going to come off
as someone saying, "I've got my piece of heaven and the hell with
everyone else".  Which I don't think you intend at all.  Good, safe
roads are important to the health of your community.  Putting
preservation in opposition to that is not something I'd advocate.

Sorry -jc