You guys are probably talking about higher end lights but I swear by my dual set of Cateye EL-320's. Both are mounted under my bars and I keep one on a steady beam to see with and the other flashing to be seen with. When the traffic dies down closer to south philly i put them both on a steady beam for the not so well lit parts. I think having people see 2 lights in their rear view helps as well rather than just one.

Now I get that you're conditions are far different than my commute but on training rides of 40+ miles or more I do the exact same thing and have never had a problem. The lights give off a great light and I feel very confident when I'm riding through the busy sections. Just my 2 cents.