Starting out: SimNation Commuter problem

[chris36]

Hi everyone.  I just started playing SC4 about a week ago but haven't been able to really play the game the past few days trying diagnose this problem. RippleJet's Census mod I think I finally found the problem.  I hope someone here has the solution.

I am attempting to start a region by building residential/commercial in one city and industrial in an adjacent one (where the industrial city supplies power to the former city).  If I start the industrial city with industry lots a few single tile lots grow.  The same occurs in the Res/Comm city.  Back in the industrial city, The new Res pop drives industrial demand and new industry grows until the demand falls.  At this point Res demand is high, but in the Res/Comm city nothing grows.  I check the transportation and notice that the residents only work in the power plant and industries from the initial grow.  In other words, none of my Sims are seeking employment and thus I am stagnate.

From the Census data I believe the problem is commuters from SimNation (I guess that's immigrants from outside my region) are taking the jobs and will not be displaced.  I can't figure out how to take a screen-shot of the census but here is some data I wrote down:
             

Residential in Res City: Pop 15, City 3, Drives 102, Demand 1314

Industry in Ind City:
Total workforce: City 0, Drives 530, Demand 678
Commuter from SimNation: City 930 
Available vacant jobs: City -247

This behavior occurs whether I try this on a blank map, already established city, on the edge, in the middle, etc.  I have tried reinstalling SC4 fresh with the entire SC4 folder in MyDocs deleted.  It also occurs within a city once it occurs once in the region.  I guess I am initiating some loop.

Is the problem immigrant commuters?
How do I fix or get around this?

If more data is needed can you direct me to a mod/plug-in that allows you to take pictures of the census?

Thank you for the help, and thanks to all the modders out there that take the time to distribute their creations.

[RippleJet]

Just to be sure... did you connect the two cities with each other as well (by building a road across)?
So that people are able to commute from their residents to the industry and back.

The "Commuters from SimNation" reflects the residential capacity that the industrial city sees within the region.
Unless there are roads leading from the surrounding into the industrial city (and back), they cannot commute though.

[chris36]

Yes they are connected (by an avenue).

Moreover, residents from the Res city are successfully commuting to the power plant and 3 one-tile industries in the industry city.  Hopefully the problem is a silly error on my part like this.  Secondly if I obliterate both cities and make one city with all of RCI and power plant the same dynamics result.

Thanks for clarifying the commuters; I had that totally wrong.  (I will reread the readme more thoroughly.)

I am basically following this guide: http://www.simtropolis.com/omnibus/index.cfm/Main.SimCity_4.Making_Money_The_Easy_Way:_Part_I

[RippleJet]

There's a silly thing with avenues that you need to be careful about...
Commuters cannot cross it elsewhere except at intersections.

Thus, if the avenue goes through with intersections, people might be able to get to work, but never find a way home from there...

[chris36]

Ahah.  I did some quick tests with the avenues, and the intersections seem to be the culprit.  I'm still testing but it seems the diagonal avenue intersections are particularly finicky.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.