I live in a rural province in New Zealand, and commute to my job two towns and 22 miles away 3.5 times a week (4 on 4 off roster). The road I take is a provincial highway with mostly a 2-3 foot shoulder which I use. The speed limit is 100 kmh (63 mph) outside towns, and half of that in towns.
I tend to follow the same rules as the cars at intersections, merging with them when I am only doing the same speed as them. At all other times I use the shoulder. Theres only 3 intersections in that entire length anyhow, and only one I regularly need to slow for. No traffic lights at all in the any of the towns I ride through, which is good. It sounds like a real *****.
Theres only one bike path in the entire south part of the province, where I ride. It's between the 2nd town and the industrial site I work at. Unfortunately it's pathetically ill suited to it's use. It's meant to be a two way path and pedestrians use it too (illegally). It's about 3 feet wide. NZ law states you must use a bike path if an adequateone is available. I only use it in the daytime, and exit it to the road if I see someone approaching from the opposite direction. If it's dark you can't necessarily see the pedestrians, or for that matter the 'no front light' genius's who inhabit my place of work.