Originally Posted by Lord Chaos

I'd recommend a good headlight and taillight, even in the daytime. They don't have to be expensive, but they do need to be bright enough to be seen in the day. The classic Planet Bike Superflash is good on the rear.

I also recommend bright-colored clothing. Black and grey are popular but you want to stand out, especially as you approach intersections and have to deal with people turning right from your lane, and turning left against you.

And then... be gentle with yourself. Allow extra time on the first few runs. Also try some scouting runs to find alternative paths if there are any.

I retired before I got into bicycle commuting in a big way, but over the 16-mile route I used several times, my door-to-door time was quicker than taking a bus, even in the morning when traffic was light. The ride was about 1:15, bus about 1:25. Motorcycle was about 0:25 but when I noticed I was becoming careless I switched to the bus. Coming home, I always used the bus because any street available to me was heavily travelled, and the west wind was in my face.