When Kate Blackmore hops on her bike each morning for work she feels uneasy about the journey ahead.

"Really unsafe, always hyper-alert and aware of what's around me and kind of scared as well," she said.

"And also ready for any abuse that's going to come my way."

Despite the challenges, Ms Blackmore has been cycling to and from work for the past five years from Saint Peters in Sydney's inner west to the CBD.

It's a five-kilometre trip that takes about 15 minutes but one she said she would prefer travelling by bike rather than by motorised transport.

"I have a car but I don't use it; just takes so long to get anywhere in a car so biking is much faster, healthier and everyone should be doing it."

Could a cycle network help?

Infrastructure Australia recently released its latest priority list urging state and federal governments to tackle major infrastructure challenges around the country.

The independent advisory body recommended that a proposal to create and upgrade 284 kilometres of bicycle network to improve accessibility to central Sydney be prioritised.

It would include dedicated cycling and shared walking paths on existing radial and cross-regional corridors within a 10km radius of the CBD.

The proposed cycle network would run nearly 300 kilometres. ( Supplied: Infrastructure Australia )

"I would definitely support it; there needs to be more people on bikes, the traffic is just so congested," Ms Blackmore said.

She said a bicycle network could reduce some of the dangers she encountered and might encourage others to use their bikes more frequently.

"I know a lot of people who have taken it up and cycled on the roads only to just kind of drop it within a year because they feel too unsafe."

Mark Kim rides daily from Leichardt in the city's inner west to the inner-city suburb of Alexandria.

"When I used to work in North Sydney it was relatively safe, but now I changed my job to Alexandria it's a little more dangerous because there is no separate bicycle path for me," he said.

Mark Kim sporting minor abrasions from a traffic incident he was involved in earlier in the day. ( ABC Radio Sydney: Luke Wong )

Earlier on the day he was interviewed, Mr Kim was involved in a minor traffic incident at Stanmore.

"There was a car coming out of the carpark and I made a sudden stop and that's where I kind of flipped over.

"Luckily I didn't hit the car, I just landed on the [ground]."

He said the creation of more dedicated cycle ways would make it safer for cyclists who were often forced to use footpaths when there was not enough room for motorists to overtake.

"I wish there were some more separate paths; I know we don't have much space."

Seyed Seyedi says dedicated cycle ways could make Sydney more attractive for commuters and visitors. ( ABC Radio Sydney: Luke Wong )

On most days student Seyed Seyedi rides short trips along George Street, Pitt Street and towards Redfern.

He has lived in Perth for two years and said that city's infrastructure was better suited for cyclists when compared with Sydney.

"You definitely need a specific place to make it safer for just bicycles," Mr Seyedi said.

"If you want to be a famous city and stay in the competition you need [to] facilitate your city with these sort of things."

Looking to other cities for inspiration

Michael Seth Wexler is an urban designer at Copenhagenize Design in Montreal, Canada.

The company advises governments how bicycle infrastructure can be implemented and marketed to cities around the world.

In 2016, 41 per cent of trips to work or school in Copenhagen were made by bicycle. ( Supplied: Martti Tulenhelmo )

"Cities are able to increase the numbers of people who are cycling by huge numbers if a concerted network and effort purports to protect those cyclists," Mr Wexler told ABC Radio Sydney.

The Danish capital Copenhagen, after which the company is named, is often cited as an example of a city with a well-implemented bicycle infrastructure.

"Copenhageners are very smart with data; they've been able to do cost-benefit analyses and with the amount of savings to society for every kilometre cycled the infrastructure actually pays itself off," Mr Wexler said.

Riding by numbers

With one million trips less than five kilometres undertaken by motor vehicles within 10 kilometres of the Sydney CBD, Infrastructure Australia estimates congestion could cost around $15 billion by 2031.

It estimates that a shift of up to 5 per cent of these trips to walking and cycling could result in a reduction of up to 50,000 motor vehicle trips per day on congested corridors in inner Sydney.

"Obviously we have seen a large increase in cycling in Sydney and we need to support that by providing the right facilities," Infrastructure Australia chief executive Phillip Davies said.

The agency is recommending a business case for the network be completed within five years to take it to the project stage.