Barb - all this is good advice! My commute has no bike paths or bike lanes but I go WAY out of my way to stick to side streets as much as possible. It's worth the extra minutes to feel more relaxed and meditative while I ride (especially in the morning). In my suburb of Chicago it's actually more of a challenge passing schools, what with crazy parents and highschool kids zooming in and out of the curb areas. I hope you can find a "hidden" back way to your place of work! It's so, so worth it and I miss it so much right now!