It is safer to ride on the street as long as you know what you are doing and you follow the rules of the road . Car, hidden by shrubs, backing out of driveway. Restaurant driveway with car crossing sidewalk Scenes of proper cycling on road. If you were riding on the road here you would have the right of way at side road intersections. Not so on the path.
Pedestrians walk facing traffic because they can step sideways out of the way.
You can't do that on a bike. On a bike, you go much faster than pedestrians. Other drivers are not looking for wrong-way riders. Follow the rules of the road. Show pedestrian walking, step sideways to avoid car.