Originally Posted by
alan s
Maybe simple, but around here, not very safe. Alternatives are very busy roads or highways. Just aim your lights down so the brightest light is less than 10 feet in front of you, and the spillage is enough to see fine. Half of my commute is against the flow, and I never get complaints from oncoming riders. The other half is with the flow, so I aim a little higher, and adjust down and to the side when the occasional rider comes along. Winding areas where a bike might appear suddenly, keep them aimed low all the time.
I've ridden in the DC area. There are alternatives. Even in the gridless east there are alternatives that parallel busy roads. Even the busy roads are still rideable to an experience cyclist.