I'm in Canada, not the US, so maybe it's slightly different. But where I live seems quiet. Comparable to the country at worst, where I lived on a through-road to a beach. It's a suburb but I could walk to a grocery store in like 10 minutes, if that counts as something of value.
> in stop/start traffic and with aggressive drivers who cut you off
The stop and go can be bad during rush-hour near major highways, true. But aggressive drivers sounds like a one off bad experience, or lack of experience driving. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but they're an exception not the norm.
> So, no, it's not the best option. It's the best option you can think of.
I'd argue a general solution is better than one that only works for some people.
I wouldn't consider a 25 minute commute while being exposed to freezing rain or heatstroke weather to be the best in any way.
Before I could afford to live in the city, I had A 40 minute commute when the roads weren't closed from snow. That's basically impossible on a bike.