Worst part...consistently...is the two block, steep uphill (no more than 5-7 mph) for a block and a half, unmarked roadway, parking on both sides, a main route to the huge gym in the area, with a stop sign at the top and bottom. I have altered my morning route in so I avoid the downhill (I go down an even steeper hill now with no stop sign) but uphill it's my best bet (and ability to avoid two even worse intersections). At the top I have to take a left onto a busy arterial - frequently passing cars lined up at the stop sign with no turn signals on so I have to guesstimate which direction they will be turning. I can then proceed straight across and then a sharp left while watching out for the traffic on the off-set adjoining streets (it's a 5-way intersection on the diagonal). Or, I can wait at the top if I'm lucky with my left arm signaling my left turn intention. Usually drivers are pretty ok with this as they don't want to see me get hit in front of them, but they are generally not patient. I've had drivers do crazy moves to get around me as I'm waiting for traffic to clear - always watching them in turn cut off other drivers with the illegal move. I aways have to judge the situation each day because it's always different.

Then there's the other places: construction at both ends of the commute route which has altered both the bike route and the auto-lanes drastically, the other massive hill I sometimes take on the way home to avoid another arterial with aggressive drivers trying to make the ferry in time in utter disregard of anyone but themselves - I pretty much don't ride that route in the dark any longer.

RE: 22% grade - Yes, this is common on my route as well. I go down one of those (mentioned above) but not up. I will bet that several of the hills I encounter are 18% - 20%.