I've found only one real shortcut on my commute, since 2010, by accident. A driver had gone off the deep end with honking and pointing, making faces, and then turned into the Verizon complex. Since there was literally no reason for it, I figured she meant I should cut through their parking lot. So I did, kind of sarcastically, and sure enough there was a gate to a side road. Not really shorter but cutting out a big intersection and traffic. Later I realized that there was a private road circumventing the entire lot. I sometimes wonder if she was really just trying to clue me in after all, or pointlessly raging like I thought at the time.