Our road infrastructure is built to move cars efficiently, not to move people efficiently. That’s one reason poor people who have no access to car are left behind. If you can not afford to live next to work (think cost of living in and around DC area), the first thing you have to buy is — guess what — car! If you can not afford to buy a car, your commute could be large part of your day. If you add up those commute hours, those are lost hours that they can spend with their kids in educating / nurturing them.