In regions where housing costs and zoning patterns push workers far from job centers, long-distance commutes become structurally unavoidable; deepening car dependency, increasing household transportation costs, and making transit alternatives economically and practically unviable. 

• Illustrative Example: On the Central Coast, farmworkers and service workers are forced into long-distance commutes because housing supply, zoning, and pricing are structured around higher-income buyers rather than the local workforce.