Merrick Rd may not be any worse then many city streets, but if we have alternatives, we use them. Just as the NYC on-street bike lanes try to avoid the the more congested streets, so do we.

I find Sunrise on a weekend to be a better route then Merrick Rd. as it typically has a parking lane that isn't used much on weekends. Merrick is typically 2 lanes of 50mph, no decent shoulder and countless strip malls and shops with cars entering/exiting. No thanks.