I still haven't solved the hands and feet problems, but my commute is now 6.5 miles rather than 13.5 miles, so maybe they won't be problems any more.

Very little of my route is on streets. Most of it is on a MUP, so I don't need to worry about drivers who can't see. I consider myself very lucky. In other places, I would also hesitate to ride in the winter. On New Jersey suburban roads, I was pretty scared at evening rush hour, knowing how irritable the drivers were feeling.