LIKE the walkways built in the canopies above rainforests, North Sydney Council hopes to lift pedestrians and cyclists above the urban jungle, with an ambitious plan to build an elevated path running from the southern end of the Harbour Bridge to as far north as Falcon Street.

The path, still at the concept stage and estimated to cost up to $30 million, would run 2 kilometres from the deck level of the bridge to St Leonards Park and Falcon Street along the Warringah Freeway. The council hopes that by bypassing North Sydney's hilly streets, traffic congestion and car pollution, many more people will walk or ride to work.

If it goes ahead, it would be one of Sydney's most scenic commuting routes, with views of the city's skyline and both sides of the harbour.

The air bridge - or Harbourlink, as the council has dubbed it - would also provide the missing link for cyclists commuting south from Lane Cove, said North Sydney's Mayor, Genia McCaffery. "Having a decent bicycle network in Sydney is a key part of sustainable transport," Cr McCaffery said. "Many people are deterred from riding bikes because there are no proper dedicated routes or because access to routes is difficult."

The proposed air bridge would separate pedestrians and bike riders from car traffic. At its highest, it would be six metres off the ground and would be held up by columns at intervals to span the road corridors. The amount of foot and bike traffic that would use the air bridge will be investigated in the next stage of the project, which the council is hoping will be funded with state or federal government grants.

Cr McCaffery said people also often felt they were taking their lives in their hands because they had to ride close to cars. Motorists either could not see them or had no respect for cyclists, she said. "You cannot ask people to ride bicycles unless governments provide safer bicycle routes … we need to separate the bikes from the cars," she said.