Given the opportunity, I would often go out of my way to use paths, when the weather's good. But it has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with start-stop traffic. A couple weeks ago, I rode out after work to a friend's house that's a little more than twice the distance as riding home. But going home, I have to stop every 2-4 blocks on the road. To my friend's place, it was 2 stops, then about 30-35 blocks along a MUT with no stop signs, no intersections, and sparse enough traffic that I could just cruise. It was a fabulous ride. Also a pretty ride along the river, mostly in park land...my usual route is fairly attractive as roads go, but it's no park.