Sounds an excellent idea Richard. The road system around Reading is awful and their solution to it is to install extra traffic lights every 10 yards or so
I love it when councils try these new ideas - so often they are totally poo-pood by people as they just like to have a moan but if given a fair go will often improve things.
The talk it up scheme you mentioned is a great idea. We lived in Hastings for a while and had our fair share of problems there (burgled 7 times in 6 years!) but I loved it and felt so sad when people moaned about it there. It's a vicious circle, the more you moan about where you live, the less you care about it. Talk it up and take pride in your hometown - something most of the country could do a bit more of