The council looked to next year for starting construction of the bike path.

Damp said oversight of the North Elba-Ray Brook stretch of the recreation path has been awarded to Barton and Loguidice, environmental engineers from Albany.

Six requests for qualifications were submitted, after the previous engineering firm pulled out.

Funding is in place, in part, from Department of Transportation grants and Transportation Economic Assistance money.

But final cost estimates are not complete.

"Sound like they are ready to hit the ground running," Damp said. "We're going to be turning dirt in the spring.

"I know I've said that twice before," he added.

The nearly four miles of trail would run parallel to the train tracks, providing a recreation corridor for bike and pedestrian traffic from Lake Placid to Ray Brook.

A second phase of the project would connect the path to Saranac Lake.

ZIP LINE

North Elba Town Council also approved a request from the Olympic Regional Development Authority to locate a Zip Line system beside the ski jumps at the McKenzie-Intervale complex.

The thrill ride, a harness seat attached to cable, would sail up to 100 feet in some places over the steep ski-jump hill.

"It's not going to go over the shooting range, is it?" Damp quipped.

Politi recommended approval of the request "with the assurance it does not affect the international status (Federation Internationale de Ski regulations) of the ski jumps."

"It's a real valid point," said Councilman Jay Rand, who abstained from voting because he works for ORDA as general manager at Whiteface Mountain.