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...averaging 10 or 12 MPH, for a city commute, with traffic lights in commuter traffic, is doing pretty good where I live. The only way I could do much better would be to blow a lot of lights.
Is there another route you could take that might be less direct, but have fewer traffic control devices ? For example, I have MUP along the river. It's a little longer distance, but quicker overall to get downtown.