camy...I solved that same issue on my commute by driving past the death zone section and staging out of a parking lot. My commute drops down to being about 9 miles each way, but it is really easy to add the miles that I lost back in, and on quiet multi-lane roads, designated bike route neighborhood roads and MUT's.

As far as getting respect on the road...I use a TL-LD1000 under my saddle with both sets of LED's on constant. I have three Mars blinkies, on the back and sides of my backpack, along with a reflective slow moving vehicle warning triangle velcroed under its cargo webbing. In front I have two really bright bike lights, one HID and one LED. Most people think that I am a motorcycle and treat me accordingly. (In fact I get told that all the time at traffic lights or when I ride up to a ped.)

Where there's a will there's a way.