As part of $35 million in funding from the state government, a new dedicated cycleway will also be constructed from the southern end of the bridge to Kent Street in the central city, removing the need for cyclists to use roads or shared footpaths.

The new ramp on the north side of the bridge will provide a link to the proposed cycle route to Naremburn via North Sydney and Crows Nest.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the new ramp and cycleway would allow cyclists to ride more easily over the bridge, which he described as the "best cycleway in the world".

"We are putting important infrastructure in for the future of the city and for the future of cycling," he said.

Bicycle NSW president Jon Leighton said his group had been working with the state government to "unblock" the city and make it more bike friendly.

"People who are older who ride bikes ... physically cannot cross the bridge, they cannot carry their bike up the stairs," he said.

Mr Leighton said there were more cyclists in Sydney than ever before but missing links in cycleway infrastructure had discouraged people from cycling.

"The Harbour Bridge ramp is a classic case in that more people would be able to get to cycle into the city, and from the city, if they didn't have to lift a bike up the steps," he said.

Recent figures from Roads and Maritime Services showed the number of people cycling in central Sydney is lower than it was two years ago.

The average daily number of cyclists counted during peak hours at the Anzac Bridge, Anzac Parade and the Harbour Bridge rose from 3830 in 2009 to a high of 5249 in 2013.

That average dropped to 4453 in 2015, and has recovered only to 4859 in 2016

But Mr Gay said he did not believe there had been a drop in cycling.

"You get different figures from different people. Look on the road, there is still a lot cyclists out there," he said.

The government committed $80 million in the state budget in June to cycling infrastructure over the next four years.