Thanks for all the ideas!

Unfortunately, I don't have alternate routes, because there just aren't that many roads to chose from! That's partly why it took me so long to find a route that was safe enough for commuting at all.

My 'city' is really an overgrown small town, so unless you are smack in downtown, you're kind of on your own for things like crosswalks, alternate streets and traffic cameras....though it is improving all the time.