The problem is we have bureaucrats and politicians who do not like change or experimentation. They rather enforce (strongly) the current laws, and not improve them.
That has historically been a quintessentially Ontarian attitude, but it does seem to be changing in recent years. There are a great number of people in City Planning, the TTC and Transportation Services who are taking big steps to upset the status quo. Surely you have noticed the major changes on the streets in the last decade, including:
- Introduction of countless separated bicycle lanes (Sherbourne, River, Harbord, etc);
- Expansion of multi-use trails (Finch Hydro, Gatineau Hydro, etc), built to a higher design standard;
- Introduction of bicycle signals;
- Introduction of legislation on bicycle signals which legalized bicycle-shaped lenses and more relaxed signal placements;
- Introduction of right turn signals to protect pedestrians and cyclists (Hoskin & Queens Park, Bloor & Keele/Parkside; also planned at Danforth & DVP);
- Introduction of leading pedestrian intervals to give pedestrians and sometimes bike a head start relative to cars;
- Narrowing of countles corners to reduce turning speeds and increase pedestrian realm;
- Introduction of contraflow bicycle lanes on formerly one-way local streets;
- Introduction of Toronto bike share, subsequent massive expansion of it;
- Introduction of indoor bicycle parking at several transit stations, including Union, Victoria Park and Finch West;
- Filtered permeability to block cut-through traffic on residential streets, especially along bicycle routes (Shaw St at Essex, etc);
- Elimination of 4-lane pedestrian crossovers, replaced with signals or road narrowings;
- Countless road diets converting formerly 4-lane streets to 2 lanes + left turn lane + bike lane + parking;
- Elimination of through traffic along King Street;
- Introduction of bus-only lanes along Eglinton East and the Queensway;
- Eglinton and Finch LRTs;
- New streetcar ROWs along Cherry, The Queensway (extended eastward to Roncy) & Lakeshore (at Long Branch station);
- Introduction of
raised intersection design standards for residential streets
etc. etc.
What we need is for people, rather than whining about the lack of change, to actually take action to support the positive changes which are already proposed. All forms of change need active public support in order to proceed because there is always a very vocal minority of people who oppose them for miscellaneous reasons. That means that you're typically better off attending a public consultation for items such as the above, rather than whining online about the lack of progress.