My commute is ~12.5 miles each way. All city streets, varying from multi-lane throughways to quiet residential streets. Rolling/hilly-not much coasting for sure. In the AM I leave at 5:00, so I head right through the heart of down town on fairly major streets. Very few cars, a couple regular walkers, and a commuter or two. The last 5 miles is a major thoroughfare and there is no choice in either direction. In the AM it is quiet. Best time in the AM is 48 minutes.

The afternoon return at anywhere from 4:30 to 7:00 PM, depending on the days events, is the same first 5 miles, then I turn off into a quiet residential neighborhood. The first 3 miles are indeed the 'hood, then blending into gentrified older neighborhoods surrounding downtown, followed by a college neighborhood, then into the middle/upper middle class, then my apartment-kind on the edge of another college neighborhood. A real slice of humanity. Best evening time is 52 minutes.

All done on a Surely LHT with rear panniers.

99% friendly drivers too....