You can build very walkable, cyclable and in fact completely car-free cities in C:S; I do only that because cars irk me. This only requires some DLCs and a mod or two. All mods are possible to install with a mere click via Steam Workshop.
DLCs: just get all of them, they are probably on sale, but public transit and likely after dark are a must.
The main mod you need is TM:PE, its key features in this case are allowing to turn on realistic parking (cars do not vanish so you actually feel how horrible they are and need to plan accordingly) and to enable road restrictions (e.g., ban all vehicles except public transport, services and emergency). You may also want to install more road assets with bike lanes.
Note that you can disconnect from the highway and rely just on intercity trains/ships/airplanes (another DLC) to avoid having to accommodate cars incoming via the highway, though this does not spare you from the need to put restrictions on roads because cims can spawn cars while in city.
Read more: https://steamcommunity.com/app/255710/discussions/0/47315979...
Warning: you may find and end up installing more mods, the rabbit hole is compelling and time consuming, I have dozens by now. Caution: mods are not thoroughly reviewed and contain arbitrary code. (That said, there are many mods seemingly maintained and contributed to by CO devs.) Beware inter-mod compatibility issues and outdated mods; although the community seems to really have gotten the hang of it recently.
Mature mods is also why I am cautious about the new version. It is reasonably likely that it will miss all these features and there will be no mods to fill the gaps. The community will also become fragmented as a result.