Dear Editor,

1. We've been misled. We were told that the trail would be elevated (using the "secret sidewalk"), and that no habitat would be destroyed. It's not true. The preferred option destroys a huge amount of habitat with a 14-foot-wide clearcut including 10-foot-wide pavement, especially at the start and end of the road (10 feet of pavement is a road, not a trail).

2. The proposal touts a "wildlife friendly fence," but I doubt that all deer, for example, can jump over it. It (and the presence of humans on the road) would prevent animals from getting to the creek to drink.

3. The proposed railroad fence would block all animals larger than a lizard. No deer could jump over it. The huge vertical cuts would interfere with animals' need to travel.

4. The proposal claims that Niles Canyon is the only east-west travel option. That's, frankly, a lie! Calaveras Road runs roughly parallel to Niles Canyon and provides access from Milpitas (just two BART stops from Fremont, the west end of the canyon) to Sunol. Bicyclists and anyone else can use it safely, since there is no high-speed traffic. I drove the road this morning, to see for myself. There were dozens of bicyclists riding the road, in both directions, including many gray-haired men and ladies and one guy on a recumbent bike.