1x11 is almost perfect for commuting. A 42-46t front and wide range rear give you the main range for commuting and eliminate the need for a front derailleur. The triple is dead, with wide range cassette you can cover the same gear range as a triple with a double or single and have greatly simplified shifting patterns.

You illustrated the problem with triples. A 50-39 shift requires no rear shifting. That means it's only equivalent to 1 gear change in the rear. If I only need to make a small change, why would I shift the front when I can shift the rear easier. The wider chainring separation limits cross-chaining, meaning you have to shift the front more often.

The other argument for triples is that "I mostly use the 39t gear", in which case a 1x11 solution is simpler, lighter, and eventually cheaper.