I ride down the main transit corridor for about 6-7 blocks in the midst of my commute, and this is really the only portion of my ride that i may consider changing as the darkness returns, for similar reasons as you mentioned in your post. There's one guy in particular, a very large, burly bear of a man who seems to walk down the transitway (in the bike lane) at about the same time every morning with a couple of fellow ---emm, use your own preferred verbage here --- <<homeless>> guys. I give them plenty of room as I pass, but the big dude seems to have an aggressive air about him. He typically looks at me as if he is on the verge of lurching at me and knocking me off my bike, or something like that. Did I mention he is a big dude? as in, 6'6 and at least 300 lbs. Anyway, I try to give him his space, but it is a bit unnerving.

That said, this morning's ride in was uneventful and delightfully chilly. I did have a bit of a slow wake-up this morning, as I allowed myself to consume a wee bit too much wine last night.