So I'm looking at the area on google maps. The vegetation looks pretty darn thin there. If it were my ride, I would not take either road. I would stay off-road the whole time.

I think of commuting this way: once you get splattered by a car, you are dead and that's that. If humanity had a better grasp of risk, they would take the safest routes possible all the time. I would rather ride a longer, rougher route and live to see my grandchildren grow up.

I would save up about $1000, get a nice classic hard tail mountain bike like a Kona Cindercone or a Specialized Rockhopper or something and go for it.