Driver's License

[Earmuffs 1]

As a candian you should NOT have to re do the test as an agreement the countries have.. They treat canadians as out of state...

[thetreble 19]

I worked in the Canadian local government in the department of transportation...and more specifically, traffic systems. (ie. signals, pedestrian signals) Here in NJ, so many things drive me nuts. Where I come from is so much more advanced than what the actual traffic systems are here in the US. I think it has to do with money (ie. we pay lots of taxes in Canada to be able to afford great traffic engineering) and how the roads/systems are managed here. In canada, your region or city manages x-number of traffic lights. But here in NJ, it's so complicated because the towns are so small therefore, sometimes I wait 3 or 4 minutes at a light at 1am because the lights are pre-programmed. (ie. there is a box on one of the electrical posts in the intersection that has been pre-programmed to turn red, yellow and green after so many seconds)

In canada, we pay traffic engineers to study live data and change the timing of lights according to traffic back ups, road closures, etc. My dad is also a traffic engineer in the niagara area of ontario. I don't know. I guess when it comes to traffic I have had quite the up bringing so, so many things just...flabbergast me!

[DeadPoolX 9]

I worked in the Canadian local government in the department of transportation...and more specifically, traffic systems. (ie. signals, pedestrian signals) Here in NJ, so many things drive me nuts. Where I come from is so much more advanced than what the actual traffic systems are here in the US. I think it has to do with money (ie. we pay lots of taxes in Canada to be able to afford great traffic engineering) and how the roads/systems are managed here. In canada, your region or city manages x-number of traffic lights. But here in NJ, it's so complicated because the towns are so small therefore, sometimes I wait 3 or 4 minutes at a light at 1am because the lights are pre-programmed. (ie. there is a box on one of the electrical posts in the intersection that has been pre-programmed to turn red, yellow and green after so many seconds)

In canada, we pay traffic engineers to study live data and change the timing of lights according to traffic back ups, road closures, etc. My dad is also a traffic engineer in the niagara area of ontario. I don't know. I guess when it comes to traffic I have had quite the up bringing so, so many things just...flabbergast me!

Well...

What happens in New Jersey (or a part of NJ) may not occur somewhere else. I know the traffic system in Houston, TX is very advanced. It has to be, considering the vast amount of drivers. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, therefore, if there wasn't at least a fairly advanced traffic system, things might get a little messy. So while it may be accurate to say whatever parts of New Jersey you're in aren't as advanced as where you're from in Canada, it's inaccurate to say that Canada, as a whole, is more advanced than the United States. See the difference?

Taxes may have something to do it, I'm not sure. But then again, so might city or town size. The larger the city or town, the more taxes can be collected. That makes sense, since tax revenue is generated by people and if there are less people, there is less tax income; more people, more tax income.

Sure, some areas have pre-programmed traffic lights. It's probably easiest that way and maybe the most cost efficient. But most places I've encountered use magnetic plates under the ground to trigger the lights. Many people assume these plates are actually pressure sensitive, but they're not -- as I said, they're magnetic and they're "set off" by the vehicles magnetic metal content. This usually works, except when someone is riding a motorcycle (although it can still work in this instance, it just depends how sensitive the magnetics are) or doing something rather foolish, such as riding a bicycle. Magnetic plates are almost always backed up by pre-programmed lights, in case the magnetic plates should become inoperational, this way drivers still have a way to use the traffic lights, even if that way is less than perfect.

[SonoranSongbird 3]

I believe it varies from state to state (just like how some states allow you to make a right turn on a red light and others don't, although even in states that allow it, it can be revoked at certain intersections for numerous reasons).

Are there any states that don't allow you to turn right on red now? (There is a line in Annie Hall where Woody Allen's character says that the only cultural advantage of California over New York is that it allows you to turn right on red, but of course that's out of date now.) In Washington State, you can go left on red, but only if it is either from a one-way street or to a one-way street. Since I can never remember which it is, I only turn left on red if I'm going from a one-way street to another one-way street.

How well designed traffic systems are varies from city to city in both countries and the road rules and signs probably vary more by state or province than they do between Canada as a whole and the US as a whole.

[DeadPoolX 9]

I believe it varies from state to state (just like how some states allow you to make a right turn on a red light and others don't, although even in states that allow it, it can be revoked at certain intersections for numerous reasons).

Are there any states that don't allow you to turn right on red now? (There is a line in Annie Hall where Woody Allen's character says that the only cultural advantage of California over New York is that it allows you to turn right on red, but of course that's out of date now.) In Washington State, you can go left on red, but only if it is either from a one-way street or to a one-way street. Since I can never remember which it is, I only turn left on red if I'm going from a one-way street to another one-way street.

How well designed traffic systems are varies from city to city in both countries and the road rules and signs probably vary more by state or province than they do between Canada as a whole and the US as a whole.

To be honest, I don't really know. Every state I've been to has allowed drivers to normally make a right-hand turn on a red light; however, that doesn't mean there may not be one or two states that still disallow it. I do know that even if the state allows the driver to make a right-hand turn on a red light, you can't always do it because it won't be allowed on some streets. This is usually do to high amounts of pedestrian traffic (i.e. busy outdoor shopping centers or around universities). I suppose they figure if there's a lot of people walking back and forth in the general area, they don't want drivers squashing them. It's a little annoying, but I can understand it. I don't really want pedestrian stuck all over my grill either. That's difficult to wash off.

[Flames9_RN 358]

There is no such thing as in "united" in United states,lol Every state differs!! Another example is RRSP's canada and the USA have a tax treaty. If one has RRSP's, once can leave them in canada, fil out a form 8891 on ur USA tax returns, and the IRS wont tax u then, BUT your state may still tax you on it, some do, some don't!! the joys,lol

[thetreble 19]

Well...

What happens in New Jersey (or a part of NJ) may not occur somewhere else. I know the traffic system in Houston, TX is very advanced. It has to be, considering the vast amount of drivers. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, therefore, if there wasn't at least a fairly advanced traffic system, things might get a little messy. So while it may be accurate to say whatever parts of New Jersey you're in aren't as advanced as where you're from in Canada, it's inaccurate to say that Canada, as a whole, is more advanced than the United States. See the difference?

Taxes may have something to do it, I'm not sure. But then again, so might city or town size. The larger the city or town, the more taxes can be collected. That makes sense, since tax revenue is generated by people and if there are less people, there is less tax income; more people, more tax income.

Sure, some areas have pre-programmed traffic lights. It's probably easiest that way and maybe the most cost efficient. But most places I've encountered use magnetic plates under the ground to trigger the lights. Many people assume these plates are actually pressure sensitive, but they're not -- as I said, they're magnetic and they're "set off" by the vehicles magnetic metal content. This usually works, except when someone is riding a motorcycle (although it can still work in this instance, it just depends how sensitive the magnetics are) or doing something rather foolish, such as riding a bicycle. Magnetic plates are almost always backed up by pre-programmed lights, in case the magnetic plates should become inoperational, this way drivers still have a way to use the traffic lights, even if that way is less than perfect.

I don't want to toot my own horn and it wasn't my intention to mean "A is better than B". Of course things are different everywhere. But I have had the experience and have been to conferences with lots of traffic engineers from different areas of the US. They often are paying for our technology. I know a guy who crated a traffic database system and has been selling it in the US for a few years now. I have been to more than one state, and in the US unless you live in a large city,(like houston) the town/county is in charge of the lights and pedestrian signals. They don't employ anyone because they either think it's not necessary or it's another salary they don't want to pay someone.

And the magnetic plates under the ground are referred to as "loops". Loops are extremely expensive to put in and because roads in Canada are newer and being built all the time, they are easier to put in then in places in the US where the roads have been around for a very long time. The cost is extremely high. If you are having someone in an office control traffic data, at the actual intersection there are radio/satellite signals that interact with the people back at the office as well as with other mini computers often stuck into electrical posts at intersections.

I think you misread what I was trying to say. I was merely making a remark that it is a bit annoying and it is of my opinion that many places in the US, other than MAJOR cities (which in many states, they only have a couple major cities) don't have the technology or aren't willing to pay for it because they don't have the money/don't want to. Where I come from in Ontario, even if you live out in the middle of nowhere, someone is controlling your traffic light.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Well...

What happens in New Jersey (or a part of NJ) may not occur somewhere else. I know the traffic system in Houston, TX is very advanced. It has to be, considering the vast amount of drivers. Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States, therefore, if there wasn't at least a fairly advanced traffic system, things might get a little messy. So while it may be accurate to say whatever parts of New Jersey you're in aren't as advanced as where you're from in Canada, it's inaccurate to say that Canada, as a whole, is more advanced than the United States. See the difference?

Taxes may have something to do it, I'm not sure. But then again, so might city or town size. The larger the city or town, the more taxes can be collected. That makes sense, since tax revenue is generated by people and if there are less people, there is less tax income; more people, more tax income.

Sure, some areas have pre-programmed traffic lights. It's probably easiest that way and maybe the most cost efficient. But most places I've encountered use magnetic plates under the ground to trigger the lights. Many people assume these plates are actually pressure sensitive, but they're not -- as I said, they're magnetic and they're "set off" by the vehicles magnetic metal content. This usually works, except when someone is riding a motorcycle (although it can still work in this instance, it just depends how sensitive the magnetics are) or doing something rather foolish, such as riding a bicycle. Magnetic plates are almost always backed up by pre-programmed lights, in case the magnetic plates should become inoperational, this way drivers still have a way to use the traffic lights, even if that way is less than perfect.

I don't want to toot my own horn and it wasn't my intention to mean "A is better than B". Of course things are different everywhere. But I have had the experience and have been to conferences with lots of traffic engineers from different areas of the US. They often are paying for our technology. I know a guy who crated a traffic database system and has been selling it in the US for a few years now. I have been to more than one state, and in the US unless you live in a large city,(like houston) the town/county is in charge of the lights and pedestrian signals. They don't employ anyone because they either think it's not necessary or it's another salary they don't want to pay someone.

And the magnetic plates under the ground are referred to as "loops". Loops are extremely expensive to put in and because roads in Canada are newer and being built all the time, they are easier to put in then in places in the US where the roads have been around for a very long time. The cost is extremely high. If you are having someone in an office control traffic data, at the actual intersection there are radio/satellite signals that interact with the people back at the office as well as with other mini computers often stuck into electrical posts at intersections.

I think you misread what I was trying to say. I was merely making a remark that it is a bit annoying and it is of my opinion that many places in the US, other than MAJOR cities (which in many states, they only have a couple major cities) don't have the technology or aren't willing to pay for it because they don't have the money/don't want to. Where I come from in Ontario, even if you live out in the middle of nowhere, someone is controlling your traffic light.

I understand what you're saying and you're probably right. However, there's something else to take into account. The U.S. has far more people than Canada does and most likely, many more cities and towns as well. Therefore, it's probably easier (and more feasible, as far as cost is concerned) to operate in the manner you described within Canada.

I'm sure cost is the overall factor here and with more people and more cities and towns, the cost would be much greater in the U.S. than in Canada. So with the exception of major cities (which have the overall population and tax revenue to warrant it), I'll bet the states feel it's just not necessary. That doesn't mean they are "right" in this instance, but most organizations (whether they are private or public) are always trying to "save a buck."

Another good example would Customs & Immigrations officials in airports. Canada has pre-clearance for the United States with U.S. Customs & Immigration inside Canadian airports. The U.S. has no such thing for Canadian Customs & Immigration. Why? Because there are far fewer Canadian airports with airlines that fly to the United States versus U.S. airports with airlines that fly to Canada. It's easier and less costly for Canada to set it up in Canadian airports, whereas it'd be too costly for the U.S. to set up something similar in American airports.

[thetreble 19]

Yeah I never thought about the pre-clearance thing. Very true.