Specific trails to encourage more active rural travel across Aberdeenshire could be created.
It comes after the region experienced a noted increase in people walking and cycling around the area during lockdown.
East Garioch councillor Martin Ford wants to capitalise on that shift in behaviour and promote its continuation by creating specific routes that are walker and cyclist friendly.
In response to his idea, council officers have prepared a report which will go before members of the infrastructure services committee on Thursday.
Mr Ford said: “The experience suggests a real suppressed demand exists for active travel on our rural roads.
“Given the huge benefits of cycling and walking, we must not simply go back to allowing motorised traffic to effectively exclude many people from using their local road for travelling by alternative means.”
He is now asking the local authority to look at what could be done to reprioritise parts of the existing road network to make it more suited to those who want to exercise or make local journeys by foot or bike.
Mr Ford added: “There really is an opportunity to ‘build back better’ by changing policies to match and support changes in use.”
In a report, the council’s head of service for transportation, Ewan Wallace, identified three routes which could form part of a trial similar to “green routes” initiatives seen elsewhere in Scotland.
If plans are progressed by councillors, the Polinar Dam loop in Inverurie, paths from Woodhead of Fyvie to Gight and the existing Ythan trail and a circular walk in Cornhill, near Banff, could be improved as a starting point.
