For the harassed commuter at a standstill on the M8, it is a utopian vision, where dreaming spires nestle at the end of tree-lined streets and the only traffic noise is the ring of a cyclist's bell.
For the harassed commuter at a standstill on the M8, it is a utopian vision, where dreaming spires nestle at the end of tree-lined streets and the only traffic noise is the ring of a cyclist's bell.
But now the Scottish Government and local authorities could have teams of advisers knocking on doors offering information and asking for views about how to turn the congestion-free dream into a reality.
In a scheme to be unveiled today, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson is making up to £15m available over the next three years and calling for expressions of interest on a matched-funding basis from Scotland's councils to help create a series of "sustainable travel demonstration communities" across the country.
The communities would be a role model for others to follow, showcasing the very best methods available to encourage people to use more environmentally friendly forms of transport.
Several similar schemes have operated south of the border - in Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester - with some positive results. One area recorded a 14% increase in public transport trips, a 29% increase in walking, a 79% increase in cycling and an 11% drop in car journeys.
According to the government, all the results have been achieved through straightforward measures such as improving cycle and walking routes, better public transport links, more pedestrian-only areas, car-sharing schemes and discounts on bus and train tickets.
In Darlington, teams of advisers visited homes offering travel information tailored to individual needs, while collecting comments from residents about how their experience of local travel could be improved. The local council also found that simply giving residents free copies of the most up-to-date bus timetables led to increases in people switching from car to bus.
Peterborough witnessed a significant rise in cycling and pedestrian journeys after new paths linking in with rail stations, schools, hospitals and other public services as well as key town landmarks were created and illuminated by lights powered by solar energy.
The Scottish Government will fund local projects for all of year one, with matched funding from local authorities coming in years two and three of the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places project.
Mr Stevenson said: "This is an opportunity for forward-thinking towns to deliver lifelong changes in how its citizens go about their daily business.
"The effects of this policy could be felt across all walks of life, delivering a more vibrant Scottish economy, a less- congested roads network, a cleaner environment and a much healthier nation.
"We have made substantial funding available for this project and I hope local authorities across Scotland take up the challenge and apply to take part. It could deliver real improvements in traffic levels, emissions, and the health of residents across the country.
"We need to look at new ways of persuading people out of the car and on to more- sustainable forms of travel such as trains, buses, walking and cycling. Sustainable travel communities give us a fantastic opportunity to do just that and could drastically change our travel habits."
Councillor Alison Hay, Cosla's regeneration and sustainable development spokeswoman, added: "Councils have long been advocating sustainable travel through their work on the provision of cycling and access routes as well as the promotion of public transport and the use of greener fuels.
"We all want to live in more sustainable, healthier communities but getting from where we are now to there is going to involve some fundamental lifestyle shifts. This project provides a forum for looking at how we can make these shifts in a big way.
"This has to be a concerted effort, and if we can demonstrate that these approaches will work in Scotland as they have in Darlington we can start the journey of bringing others on board to provide leadership at the highest level in making the big changes necessary to achieve sustainable places in communities."
