Imagine walking a straight line through Broome County's Triple Cities on a beautiful summer day. That dream could soon become possible, thanks to a newly proposed plan in Johnson City.

Village leaders are calling for the abandoned railroad tracks near Willow Street to be converted into a one-mile walkway.

"In the process, the Greater Binghamton Fund came along, so we put it in as a project for the Greater Binghamton Fund, and it was actually funded almost 100 percent," said Johnson City Mayor Greg Deemie.

The village has yet to purchase the property, but the planning stage has already begun. The goal would be to build a paved trail for walking and biking, similar to the Vestal Rail Trail.

Deemie says in the future, this could connect to trails in Binghamton, Vestal, and Endicott.

“I’ve already talked to Executive Garnar about it to have the county come in, possibly look into being the one to purchase and own the property, and the other municipalities, because it’s all in Broome County. Everybody else would do their part to create the trail and add it into their other system,” said Deemie.

Deemie hopes other local officials would get on board with the plan. County leaders say this could boost tourism and the economy in these municipalities.

“I think it’s a boost individually for properties along these trails, but also, people looking for places to locate, they look for these types of amenities. This really benefits the entire community,” said Broome County Planning Director Frank Evangelisti.

If the plan goes forward, it could break ground as soon as next summer.