Bright green reflective vests are cheap, I'd recommend you buy one, I never bike without it. I use an XL so it will fit over warm clothes too. Best if the reflective strips are covered in clear plastic, as the ones that aren't, shed the reflective sand over time. Some have no pockets, but many do, which is handy, though I wouldn't put anything valuable in a pocket with a simple velcro flap.

Bike routes: I used to devise these myself, side streets parallel to main roads. But these days, on online maps, many you can select bike, and it will route you on designated bike routes. In my area, the parallel sidestreets are often marked as bike routes on the pavement.