And there is no way you can detour around this? Sometimes an extra mile won't make a hell of a difference time-wise but will make your ride safer. Otherwise, I think I'd choose #2 since that exposes you less to the possibility of being hit when the cars change the lane after entering the arterial from the ramp.

I always think in terms of "how long am I exposed to the danger?". Crossing the ramp is a short hop and then you're pretty much out of harm's way. But staying in the through lane will expose you to all the cars that entered the arterial and now may be changing lanes, and for much longer.

BTW, speaking of cross-posting, I think it's often needed and I wish the forum had a feature where a post would appear in several sections/forums, but still be just one post. I often have questions that belong in several forums. In particular when it comes to commuting it often overlaps with Utility Cycling, Living Car Free, Mechanics and VC, etc. Some people hang out in some forums only and may never see your post otherwise. I NEVER go to VC forum, for instance