Mayor Carlos Gimenez travels to China to check out a trackless train

Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez is setting off to China this week for a trip that includes a visit to a train factory that sells trackless trains AKA “virtual train” buses, the Miami Herald reports.

It’s a new technology that is currently being tested in the city of Zhuzhou, and Giminez floated the idea of using these electric-powered, self-driving train-bus hybrids in the city. His plan involved using the trackless train as a rapid-transit bus systems instead of expanding Metrorail.

The trip is funded by a mix of county and private dollars, including money from tax-funded organizations, the Miami Herald reports. The group traveling to China and Japan includes more than 50 elected officials, county administrators, lobbyists, developers and Miami-Dade contractors.

• On the hunt for a cheaper alternative to Metrorail, Miami-Dade’s mayor heads to China [Miami Herald]
• Can We Just Call This a Bus? [CityLab]