SAN JOSE, Calif – The 90-minute commute to work as an air conditioning refrigeration mechanic at San Jose State University now feels short to Aaron Flores.
During the 80-mile drive from the Central Valley to San Jose, Flores sips his coffee and turns on satellite radio, listening to a few songs or the news, but mostly he focuses on the traffic report. Some mornings accidents pile up and traffic stretches for miles. Those days he’s lucky to make his 7:30 a.m. shift on time even after being on the road for nearly three hours.
After a decade of the drive and job totaling 13-hour days five times a week, Flores admits the commute has grown grueling over the years. “It’s a challenge just to come to work and get home every day,” he said.
The drive…
