My area's bike paths are heavily used, too, which is really a wonderful thing because that's what they're for. I long for bike only paths that no one else can use but I'm lucky to have any paths at all. I'm with Trek - if the weather is lousy, it's smooth sailing for us cyclists!

What works well, is the rails to trails paths that take off away from the metro area and into the hinterland - miles of no backyards and no people once you clear the congestion zone. Just the occasional opossum or redwinged blackbird in attack mode!