Quite the interesting array of recent posts. I'll add one more.

I left on time, but a quarter mile down the road I realized my back tire was low. I'd been meaning to change the tire anyway, so went back home and changed the tire and tube.
This put me about 15 minutes behind schedule, so I figured I'd take the shorter, higher traffic route ( ~10 miles vs ~13 miles).

Here is what I found:

• 2 school bus stops
• 1 crossing guard stop
• 4 red stop lights
• Generally slow moving vehicles due to congestion. This route is especially bad when the interstate is clogged, which once I got to work I found was the case as a few colleagues were late due to that.

Advantage did go to the cyclist at one point where I have to turn right to get to a stop light about 50 yards down. Traffic gets backed up from the light enough that cars can't turn. And to make it worse, a big pickup pulling a long trailer had stopped with his trailer cutting off anybody from going anywhere. Except for the skinny bicycle that could go between his bumper and the curb, and get through the light as it turned yellow.