Originally Posted by
Quel
Going off route 1/4 mile? That isn't too much more or less than 60 seconds of riding. Well worth it to get to a safer intersection.
Kind of my thoughts as well. For a large number of people the success of bike commuting, or lack thereof, is route selection. I've found that tweaking my route not only allows me to be safer but greatly reduces my stress levels. Also, these safer routes are often faster once you get them figured out and used to them. In bike commuting the quickest route between to points is often NOT a straight line.