145 Downtown/Humber Bay Express

Compiled by James Bow
With assistance from Mike Vainchtein

Background

Since 1928, service along Lake Shore Boulevard through the old village of Mimico was handled by streetcars. Service on first the LAKE SHORE and then the LONG BRANCH lines was enough to both serve the local residential, commercial and industrial development, but also to connect the area to the City of Toronto via Humber loop.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the area started to change. The old industries shut down or moved out, and land along the lake, especially near Park Lawn Drive, came under intense development pressure. What had been a strip of inexpensive hotels quickly transformed into a dense development of new condominiums.

In addition to this redevelopment, congestion on Queen Street, inadequate service management as well as service cuts increased frustrations with the local 501 QUEEN streetcar. As the TTC had successfully experimented with premium express downtown bus routes in the past, as well as the new 508 LAKE SHORE streetcar, proposals came forward for a new premium express service serving Lake Shore Boulevard to the Humber River and running express to Downtown Toronto.

Initially, TTC staff rebuffed such suggestions, noting that ridership was likely to be low and subsidy requirements high. In late March 2006, a condominium developer proposed setting up a private express bus service, prompting fears of a “two-tier transit system” in Toronto. However, the initiative fizzled when it became clear that the service was unprofitable.

The failure of the private venture did not cool demands for a TTC run premium express service and, in the summer of 2009, the TTC commissioners directed the commission to install such a new service on a trial basis.

October 19, 2009

Service begins on the 145 DOWNTOWN/HUMBER BAY EXPRESS, a premium express service connecting Lake Shore Boulevard West with downtown Toronto.

In the morning rush hour, buses operate from the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Kipling via east on Lake Shore, east on Fleet, north on Bathurst, east on Adelaide, north on Jarvis, west on Richmond, south on Bathurst, west on Lake Shore Boulevard, west and south on the Lake Shore Boulevard off-ramp, east on Lake Shore Boulevard, south, west and north on Marine Parade Drive to Lake Shore Boulevard.

From Lake Shore Boulevard at Park Lawn Road/Marine Parade Drive, buses operate via east on Lake Shore, east on Fleet, north on Bathurst, east on Adelaide, north on Jarvis and west on Richmond to Bathurst Street.

In the afternoon rush hour, some buses operate from Adelaide and Peter via east on Adelaide, north on Jarvis, west on Richmond, south on Bathurst, west on Lake Shore, west and south on the Lake Shore Boulevard off-ramp, east on Lake Shore, west south and north on Marine Parade Drive to Lake Shore Boulevard. Additional buses continue west from Marine Parade Drive along Lake Shore to Kipling.

Buses serve all stops on Marine Parade Drive and all stops on Lake Shore Boulevard between Kipling Avenue and Humber Loop and run express between Humber Loop and Bathurst Street and Fleet Street, stopping only at Windermere Avenue, Ellis Avenue, and Colborne Lodge Drive. Downtown, buses serve all stops downtown from Bathurst and Fleet to Richmond Street and Bathurst Street. All buses are accessible, and bike rack service is provided.

Fares on this service are the regular fare plus either $2.25 cash, additional token or express sticker on a monthly Metropass ($32.00) for adults, $1.50 cash, additional student/senior ticket or express sticker on a monthly Metropass (also $32.00) for students and seniors, or $0.50 cash or additional child ticket for children. Transfers are available from the express buses to all other TTC routes. Customers travelling from all other TTC routes must show a transfer and pay the premium.

Approximate departure times are as follows:

Depart       Depart       Arrive        Depart       Arrive       Arrive
Kipling      Park Lawn    Adelaide      Richmond     Park Lawn    Kipling
                          & Bay         & Bay  
6:30 a.m.    6:44 a.m.    7:14 a.m.  -  4:17 p.m.    4:57 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
7:00 a.m.    7:14 a.m.    7:44 a.m.  -  4:47 p.m.    5:27 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
7:30 a.m.    7:44 a.m.    8:14 a.m.  -  5:17 p.m.    5:57 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
.-.-.-.-.    7:58 a.m.    8:29 a.m.  -  5:47 p.m.    6:26 p.m.    6:46 p.m.
.-.-.-.-.    8:28 a.m.    8:59 a.m.  -  6:17 p.m.    6:56 p.m.    7:16 p.m.
.-.-.-.-.    .-.-.-.-.    .-.-.-.-.  -  6:47 p.m.    7:26 p.m.    7:46 p.m.

145	DOWNTOWN EXPRESS	145	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
	TO DOWNTOWN EXTRA FARE REQUIRED		TO KIPLING EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only
145A	DOWNTOWN EXPRESS	145A	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
	TO DOWNTOWN EXTRA FARE REQUIRED		TO PARK LAWN EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only

October 19, 2009

Because of a TTC track rehabilitation project on Bathurst Street, south of Front Street, buses are temporarily diverted via Spadina Avenue in both directions for several weeks in October and November 2009.

November 22, 2010

Service speeded up, with trip times changed. 145A runs that operate to and from Park Lawn Road only are extended to operate to and from Royal York Road. On or before this date, local service was eliminated between the Bathurst/Fleet intersection and Adelaide and Peter, and between Richmond and John and the Bathurst/Fleet intersection.

Depart       Depart       Arrive        Depart       Arrive       Arrive
Kipling      Royal        Adelaide      Adelaide     Royal        Kipling
             York         & Jarvis      & Peter      York
6:30 a.m.    6:33 a.m.    7:05 a.m.  -  4:15 p.m.    5:00 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
7:00 a.m.    7:03 a.m.    7:35 a.m.  -  4:45 p.m.    5:30 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
7:30 a.m.    7:33 a.m.    8:05 a.m.  -  5:15 p.m.    6:00 p.m.    .-.-.-.-.
.-.-.-.-.    7:48 a.m.    8:23 a.m.  -  5:45 p.m.    6:30 p.m.    6:40 p.m.
.-.-.-.-.    8:18 a.m.    8:53 a.m.  -  6:15 p.m.    7:00 p.m.    7:10 p.m.
.-.-.-.-.    .-.-.-.-.    .-.-.-.-.  -  6:45 p.m.    7:30 p.m.    7:40 p.m.

145	DOWNTOWN EXPRESS	145	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
	TO DOWNTOWN EXTRA FARE REQUIRED		TO KIPLING EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only
145A	DOWNTOWN EXPRESS	145A	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
	TO DOWNTOWN EXTRA FARE REQUIRED		TO ROYAL YORK EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only

February 14, 2011

Running times lengthened in the morning rush hour to reflect actual traffic conditions. The route continues to operate five trips using three buses.

March 28, 2015

The three westbound morning trips will go out of service at Mimico and Royal York instead of Royal York and Lake Shore. Also on this date, service to and from Kipling will be designated 145B

EASTBOUND		WESTBOUND
145	DOWNTOWN EXPRESS
	EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only
		145A	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
			TO ROYAL YORK EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only
		145B	HUMBER BAY EXPRESS
			TO KIPLING EXTRA FARE REQUIRED
Monday to Friday, rush hours only

November 25, 2019

Service on this route is changed to operate on the King Street Transit Priority Corridor on a trial basis. Westbound buses now operate from Berkeley and King via west on King Street to Bathurst Street before continuing to its original routings. Eastbound buses operate via their original routing before continuing east on Adelaide Street, south on Charlotte Street, east on King Street, south on Sherbourne Street, west on Front Street East to Berkeley Drive. No changes to service levels.

Also on this date, with the closure of Fleet Street from Bathurst Street to Iannuzzi Street, westbound buses are rerouted to operate via Bathurst Street and Lakeshore Boulevard. No stops are missed and there is no change to the schedules.

Tuesday, March 23, 2020

As with other express services on the TTC, all service on this route is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Buses on this route are reallocated to local routes until further notice.