I often take arterials; as you say, they are faster a lot of times. However, I choose them carefully. If there are no shoulders or bike lanes, the road is very busy, and the speed of cars using the arterial exceeds 40 mph, I try to find parallel side streets if possible. If you have a decent shoulder, you're probably good. I've found that car drivers don't have a problem with bikes at all, as long as they don't have to slow down because of them very often...

I have found, around me, that the timing on the lights for those main roads is often poor for cycling.

Amen.

Me, too.

Or else the suicidal, depending on your point of view...;)

Expect? I assume nothing every time I go out on the bike or car as I was taught to be a defensive driver/rider. As for the "cycling experience," perhaps it is time I do some major thought to how I am going to continue to cycle in the future.

Later Edit: I have to be more honest here. It is not the "close calls" or "behaving" myself or even "risks." Taking a risk simply means that you are warm and have a pulse and there are many other places in my life where I take risks. As far as cycling goes, I am tired of being a second class road user, pushed out of the way by parked cars blocking a potentially safer area to ride relegating you to a tiny patch where a opened door can swing out anytime to, more likely for me, the driver gets in/out of his/her car and blocks even that little patch. I have grown weary of detouring on other more quiet streets, taking far longer in journey time than I should. I tried "public transit" and had similar not positive experiences there.

So.....I am in transition right now. I visited my old high school where I used to bike far more heavily than I do now and received my motor vehicle learner's permit there for some needed inspiration about this looming major life change in my present life. And I remembered some things that I have long forgotten. I remembered why I rode bikes in the first place (to save up for college instead of putting the same money in a car). The streets were not jammed up with all sorts of distracted people like it is now. No cell phones, no electronic devices to play with, money going out to support these things, limited public transit, and far fewer cars on the road. Which made it a very positive cycling experience. I had people around me that did not dwell on whether or not I had a bike or even rode the thing. I was surrounded by supportive friends and relatives no matter what I choose to do. They asked about my well being, rather than focused on whatever activity-i.e. cycling-I participated in. And I still have many of those people around me from high school and onward as my life progressed.

I am keeping my bikes for sure. I really like to ride them still. I will use them just as I did then for commuting/utility purposes just like I did way back at that old high school. I will be purchasing a nice folding tricycle very soon to haul groceries and hardware supplies for the house I inherited. But I do not want to cycle all the time anymore. I cannot say why exactly. But I do know that I am now negotiating for a nice simple smaller Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Ford, or Toyota which can accept a folded up tricycle inside it's interior anytime I want. And that is something this point in my life I want and need to do. I don't expect other people here to understand or even accept. You do what you must do.

Brontide-you're right, the light timing is horrible. I'm convinced it's based on sensors, which makes sense for automobile-centered engineering, but I always end up running the light if no one's coming.

Copenhagen has "the Green Wave"--traffic lights timed to favor pedaling speeds (11mph IIRC).

The ones that get me are the lights on the road section of our local "rail trail" that are sensor only in the off hours which do not ever trip for cyclists.

Speaking of rail trails, I decided instead of just riding the shoulder of the freeway home, that I'd try a service road next to some railroad tracks. It turned into a hike through dense grass with my bike in tow. I'm doing the freeway next time.