It's much safer to ride on the sidewalks in the city and take one's chances against the pedestrians...
It's not much safer for the pedestrians though. Cycles vs. buses and cars-the cyclist loses. Cycles vs. pedestrians-the pedestrian loses. By the way, as a pedestrian, I came within inches of being hit by an a*****e on a bike who, like you, ran a red light thinking it was "safe" for him. I could have ended up in the morgue like the guy in the linked article.
Be careful out there. Don’t be wALKING AND TEXTING/TALKING.
THERE ARE CARS THAT RUN RED LIGHTS TOO.
I generally don't go to places where I have to pay to park (and I drive 99.999% of time) - It's Un-American to pay to park.
It's only if I have to go downtown for jury duty or something that I would ride my bike in an urban area.
I have no interest in competing with road vehicles for road space downtown. If the sidewalks are excessively crowded, I'll walk my bike. Otherwise I'll go at a safe and reasonable speed. Be aware of your surroundings.