I'd like to echo njm in regards to the desire to hop off of the bike in the event of an emergency. I don't ride BMX, and its been a long time since I've ridden one (a friend of mine had one that I rode once) but I can say that I've been in some close calls here but none of them necessitated bailing. Sure, there may be the rare occurrence where its desirable to jettison the bike, but most of the time you can keep control pretty well.

Also, while I can't vouch for your traffic conditions, I can say that for the most part traffic works with bicyclists. I've been buzzed twice, once by an old guy who I'm sure didn't even know I was there. Other than that, as long as you're visible to those coming up on you, they'll at least attempt to hug the left side of the lane, and often times they'll half way merge or completely change lanes to avoid me. I wouldn't consider where I live to be bike friendly, and despite the push even around campus people are idiots, but its manageable and enjoyable (12 mile round trip commute).

I can't tell you what bike you need/want for your commute other than ride what makes you feel safe - but that comes with a caveat. Try adjusting the fit of your other bike(s) and give them a couple of days before you completely write them off. I don't really buy into the belief that those driving gas hogs will immediately turn into a ball of rage if they see someone riding their bike. More often than not the story goes the other way - some eco-friendly tree hugger takes a sledge hammer to someone's new hummer in protest...

I also found that confidence helped. The first few times I was on the road I was terrified. It showed. But after practicing and picking up a mirror, my confidence has increased and I'm comfortable taking the lane in the event that it'd be dangerous for me not to (giant pot holes could lead to me losing control of my bike, the road is too narrow to share the lane, etc.) The mirror was the biggest confidence booster.


So, in summary, if you're comfortable on the BMX, by all means continue. But, if there is something nagging you about it that made you ask whether or not it might be the best bike to use, try something else out and see how it goes - but don't immediately write it off if something isn't perfect.