Seattle is experimenting with bike boxes. IMHO they only work if there is a bike lane (which in general I don't like to use as out here they tend to be up against parked cars) and then I'm not sure what exactly they accomplish.... they do make the intersection that they are at "No Right On Red" - which I do like, but you don't really need a bike box for that. I'd like to see *all* of the intersections in the city be no right on red unless signed otherwise myself.

As far as coming up on the side of traffic, it's not specifically illegal out here. For me it depends on the situation. If it is a few cars at a stop sign, I'll wait my turn. If it is heavy traffic and its not going much of anywhere, I'm not going to wait in it if I don't have to.