I live in the 'burbs of Minneapolis too - nordwest. I ride 6 miles each way between my house and the Park & Ride. I first carefully planned my route and drove it to become used to it. The bottom line is: When I started, I put part of it - where I had to use a busy street - on the sidewalk. Encountering broken glass, poor pedestrians who had to put up with me, bushes growing way out over the sidewalk, etc., I'm on the street, and happy to be there. You may want to do some reading about cycling, vehicular cycling, etc. in addition to the info here on Bike Forums. The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street by Robert Hurst is a book title I picked up from this forum. Read, become informed, smart, aware, stay safe,and enjoy the ride!