My take is that derailleur bike commuters should be set up with 110-74 BCD triple cranksets. Then both scenarios you mention can be done. Commuters vary widely on speed and conditioning. I commuted as a racer and ex-racer (not owning a car). I would have gone nuts on the gearing you are proposing. My geared bikes were all variations of 54-42-28 until age (how did that happen?) has recently forced me to 50-38-24, running up to 28 in back (and never smaller than 12). That 110 BCD crankset, run on a narrower spindle works nicely if you want to simplify your commuter to a SS or fix gear,
I haven't looked at the commuters out there. I've been riding '80s steel bikes as commuters forever. If they disappear and I need another, I'll probably have custom built because they work so well. But I'm guessing the supply is going to last longer than I will. And a lot of 110-74 BCD triples got made. I see no issues there either.
Ben