This Monday, residents of the west end will have another option to make their way downtown. The TTC is launching another downtown-express bus that will pick passengers up along Lakeshore, and drop them off downtown on both Adelaide Street and Richmond Street.

According to a press release issued by the TTC on Friday, the new 145 Downtown/Humber Bay express will provide customers with five eastbound trips in the morning, and six westbound trips in the afternoon. The rush hour service will serve existing stops on Lakeshore between Kipling Avenue, and High Park. (At the time of publication of this blog post, the route has not yet been added to the list of active routes on their web page, so exact route details are not currently available.)

To encourage use of the route, a bike rack is also provided on the buses. This makes taking my bike downtown easier, and also quite a bit quicker. Once you're at the drop off point, cycling to work or school is a time saver as well - forget walking or popping onto the subway.

Although residents of West-End Lakeshore will benefit from this service, it will come at a premium. An additional fare is required - almost doubling the price per ticket - an adult fare on any express route is $5. Metropass holders can purchase a 'downtown express' sticker for an additional $32.

Personally, I find five bucks a little steep. I would use the route in a time sensitive situation such as being late for work or accidentally sleeping in due to the festivities from the night before. Whatever the reason, at least the residents of the West-End Lakeshore area will get an alternative option to commute downtown.