Was there an event going on? I only ask because I feel safe on nearly every road in this town at 8pm, including Chavez. The roads with tracks are pretty much the only ones that I tend to avoid 100% of the time.

I don't have any problem with this rider despite your irrelevant descriptors (i.e. upright bike, no helmet, no reflectives). Sometimes when I pass these ladies, I feel like the wussy. "Here I am too insecure to ride at the pace I'm comfortable with in order to appease people sitting on their butts pressing a gas pedal" is usually the thought running through my head.

Sure there is an "alternate" route. This city is a grid, but it's not an equivalent alternative. Must be some reason the majority of motorists aren't using these alternative routes. Could it possibly be that they don't enjoy having a stop sign every major block, want to avoid crossing traffic without a signal every major block, and don't like having to negotiate 6 turns (http://goo.gl/maps/pirZC) where this main route allows them to accomplish the same thing by driving in a straight line? I wonder.