+1

I almost exclusively use the road, but there are a couple of places on a couple of my regular routes that I'll hop onto the sidewalk for half a block or use a crosswalk to cross a street because it makes things a lot easier or safer. Waiting in the middle of an intersection for an endless line of cars to pass and then having to try and dash through to make my left turn as light changes on me isn't as safe or pleasant as hopping up on the sidewalk half a block before I get there and going through the crosswalk as soon as the light turns green.

I think what you are doing is totally acceptable if you aren't comfortable with trying to merge into traffic that just exited the freeway in order to immediately try and get over into the left lane to make a left turn. Makes sense to me. That's a difficult situation, unfortunately some drivers are going to be jerks, best to just try and "let it roll off your back", although that is easier said than done sometimes.