I know it's frowned on in some areas and there are reasons not to, but riding on the sidewalk is legal in Seattle and in the suburb where I live.
When riding on the weekend, I don't ride on the sidewalk ever. However, when commuting I do. My commute has three parts: 1) On a paved trail that runs beside the road but separate 2) single-track path 3) a four-lane busy arterial.
The paved trail runs along a two-lane street with no shoulders. Idiots pass cyclists w/out enough room. I use the trail, but there is only one driveway and I'm very careful.
The four-lane busy arterial has a 40mph speed limit but people go 50. There is no shoulder, only a sidewalk, so there's no-where to go if someone buzzes you. The drivers are so cut-throat: when I drive on the road, they won't let you change lanes and people are very aggressive. There are only two driveways on this route.




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