Usually what I do is:

When approaching an uphill stop sign or "stale" red light, I sometimes shift the transmission into "S", which will override the "auto-stop" function. Or, I'll coast up to the red light and apply the foot brake and let the auto-stop do its thing, then, just before the light changes to green, I'll quickly release the foot brake and reapply to get the ICE started for a quick get away. Just remember to double check for any cross traffic so you don't get T boned by some zipper brain on a cell phone running the light.

Also, when I'm driving in stop and go traffic through a congested town or city center, I'll just leave the transmission in "S" for a minute or two so the auto stop doesn't engage.