Folks, this has been a great discussion! Thank you you all.

Let's see. four way stop? I usually stay to the shoulder, unless there is a right turning car in front of me, then I fall in behind them. That means, for me, the middle of the lane, so there is no confusion on the part of the driver behind me. I now use the middle of the lane for ALL traffic lights, as well!

The bike lanes around here are almost exclusively on the right shoulder, against the curb (if there is a curb). You really have to be on your toes when moving past parked cars in those situations. I never go very fast in such cases, I try to give myself some time and an out. Even so, things can happen so fast.

I do not like the idea of riding on sidewalks. A dedicated bike path/rec trail is one thing, but sidewalks - "side WALKS" are for pedestrians, in my view. There are just too many hazards associated with them to ride on them.