If approved after public consultation, the annual rates-funded contribution for the construction of the cycle network would increase from $340,000 to $650,000 a year.
The increased investment has been proposed to take advantage of higher New Zealand Transport Agency co-funding rates before they reduce in the next few years.
It is also hoped boosting the city's commitment to the network will help attract a portion of a new $100 million Government fund for urban cycleways.
The council plans to build a $22.5 million cycle network around Dunedin, with the majority of the cost to be funded from sources other than rates.
Councillors also voted yesterday to potentially add a $3.5 million pedestrian/cycle bridge linking the central city to the waterfront to the list of network projects.
The bridge was in the council's 10-year-plan until about four years ago, when various capital expenditure projects were axed in favour of reducing debt.
The recommendations came from Cr Kate Wilson during debate about the level of funding the council wanted to put into the cycle network given the NZTA's reducing contribution and the opportunity of the urban cycleway fund, which may fund up to a third of urban cycleway projects.
Cr Wilson said if a planned eastern freight bypass between Strathallan St and Anzac Ave was built the council would be ''crucified'' for building cycleways from the peninsula and South Dunedin and not providing a safe link between the central city and the harbour area.
She admitted $650,000 a year was ''testing the water'', but said it sent a ''very clear'' indication to the government that Dunedin was serious about cycling infrastructure.
She noted other council's, such as the Wellington Council, which was spending $6 million on its cycle network next year, were investing heavily to attract a slice of the urban cycleway fund.
Most of Dunedin's cycle network will be funded from sources other than rates, and the level of rates contribution may change in future reviews of the long-term plan.
Transportation manager Gene Ollerenshaw said at the time the DCC's existing long-term budget was set three years ago, the NZTA contributed 66% of the cost of cycling projects, but its contribution would drop to 59% in 2015-16 and a further 1% each of the following years, until it reached 51%.
About $1 million (including the NZTA funding) was included in the council's existing long-term plan, but the actual cost of the network in the past three years was $1.5 million a year and with the NZTA co-funding reduction staff were seeking guidance from councillors on how they wanted to continue.
Crs Lee Vandervis and Hilary Calvert peppered staff with questions about individual projects within the cycle network, but were advised the matter being considered yesterday was purely about what level of funding the council wanted to commit to whole network's construction.
Many of the details of the individual projects within the network were yet to be decided,Cr Vandervis was the only councillor to oppose the new funding plan.
