18 years ago ... while I was riding Old 47, a winding no-shoulder two lane road, a couple were killed riding the parallel new 47 in the breakdown lane by an inattentive driver. That has always stuck with me. Here, a mile from my house there is a minor arterial with good bike lanes. Straight as an arrow as it is an old railway right-of-way. I'll ride the slightly uphill inbound but rarely the westbound coming home. I instead ride the rural-like road that parallels it, far windier with a good hill and fast downhill. Car passes are much closer, but I feel the drivers on both those lesser roads are paying far better attention. (The inbound on the second road is steep and I am not yet warmed up. Not a good start for us not-so-young ones.)
Ben