I ride to be seen. Hiding to the far right only increases your chances of getting nailed. Turning left at an intersection I regularly use the left turn only lane, and will merge into traffic to get there. Of course I do my best to not impede traffic and obey all traffic laws. Nothing angers motorists more than seeing a cyclist blow throw a red light or stop sign only to hog the lane further up. Fred
Stay off the sidewalks - those are for pedestrians only. If you hit one on your bike be prepaired to get sued. Plus there is way too much stuff to monitor/avoid. The street is your best bet. Just use your head and avoid conflict.