bmc, 7.5 miles isn't such a long route, so maybe you could consider on your afternoon ride making it longer and taking a bit of a detour to get past the scary section?

As for your question regarding sidewalks, there are parts of my commute when I use them, because the traffic is just too dangerous otherwise (and there's ABSOLUTELY no shoulder for me). Just use your head, and remember that riding on the sidewalk carries its own responsibility, such as being aware of peds (THEY have the right of way, here) and being very careful when crossing streets on sidewalks, as cars will not see you as they would on the street.

As you get more comfortable riding on the roads, you may find that the 1.5 miles isn't as bad as you initially thought, as long as you make sure you are ALWAYS vigilant and hyper-aware of everything that's going on. Which may be tough after a long day at work.

However, I think you should definitely try the commute out, at least once!!

K.