Councillors will be asked to approve the services of consultants Sweco to investigate preferred routes and concept designs linking the heart of the city to its residential communities via five main roads.

Steven Rome, depute convener of the city development committee, said: “We have already shown a substantial commitment to active travel and we want to push ahead with ensuring that it is a viable option for people all over the city to get to their places of work and education, and to access local services and leisure facilities.

“That means we need a continuous network to and from communities and the city centre that is easy to find, safe and supported by the Green Circular and other quiet routes.

“By commissioning these consultants we are acknowledging the need to investigate how to make it as easy as possible for people to come into the centre from communities across the city.”

Described as “active freeways” the concept aims to encourage people to make their journeys by walking, wheeling and cycling by providing active travel infrastructure on high-demand travel routes.

The five high-quality walking and cycling routes will link:

• The city centre with Ninewells via the Hawkhill/Perth Road corridor;
• Lochee to Stobswell via Harefield Road, Strathmore Avenue, Dens Road corridor;
• Stobswell and Fintry/Whitfield with the city centre via the Pitkerro Road corridor;
• The city centre and Broughty Ferry via the Arbroath Road corridor; and
• The city centre with Strathmartine via the Hilltown/Strathmartine Road corridor.

Transport Scotland, TACTRAN and Dundee City Council are funding the £325,000 for the work.

Kevin Cordell, the council’s cycling spokesperson, added: “The introduction of active freeways that would provide safe, segregated opportunities for walking and cycling will not only make a substantial contribution to the city’s health and wellbeing, it would help to achieve our wider climate commitments and further improve local air quality.

“Appointing consultants to take it to the next level goes a long way to creating a street environment in our city that supports and encourages people to walk and cycle when they can.”

If the city development committee, which meets on Monday, agrees the contracts, it is expected that work on the studies will be completed by next spring.