Eric D. Lawrence

Detroit Free Press

The addition of 24-hour bus service on some routes is among the changes coming to public transportation in Detroit beginning next week.

They include new schedule times, additional destinations and the introduction of 24-hour service on No. 53 Woodward, No. 34 Gratiot and No. 21 Grand River, according to the Detroit Department of Transportation.

"These service changes come directly from our customers and employees," DDOT Director Dan Dirks said in a news release. "We received countless requests for better night service, frequent peak-hour service and more reliable schedules."

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The changes, which are scheduled to begin on Saturday, Jan. 23, follow a series of community input workshops and hearings last year. DDOT is planning a final service change announcement for 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Rosa Parks Transit Center.

The service improvements are made possible through operating efficiencies and a reconfiguration of bus routes in northeast Detroit and Harper Woods, the release said, noting that Eastland Center will be served by enhanced service on 8 Mile rather than buses from Mack and Gratiot.

"Ridership patterns have shifted in this area, and we're making an effort to deploy our resources wisely," Dirks said. "We initially proposed a separate route along Kelly and Moross. With extensive input from customers, we refined it into the expanded 8 Mile route."

The service improvements are the latest changes to the city's bus service. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has pledged to improve the service, previously noting that "nothing was a greater embarrassment to this city when I took office than our bus service." Last year, new buses, including larger articulated — or bendable — buses for busier routes — were rolled out, the city committed to hiring 100 bus drivers and, for the first time in 20 years, DDOT began hitting its target for getting buses on the road.

Here's the list of upcoming service changes, according to DDOT:

No. 16 Dexter — Add trips on weekday mornings

No. 17 8 Mile — Extend route to start/end at Mack & Moross, with service to Eastland Mall, on all days. New schedule with expanded hours on all days on this fast-growing route.

No. 18 Fenkell — New schedule on Saturday

No. 19 Fort — New schedule on all days to reflect end of long-term construction

No. 21 Grand River — Add 24-hour service on all days

No. 23 Hamilton — New schedule on all days

No. 25 Jefferson — New schedule on all days

No. 27 Joy — New schedule on all days

No. 29 Linwood — Minor schedule adjustments

No. 31 Mack — Route travels between Mack and Moross and Rosa Parks Transit Center; use No. 17 8 Mile for service to Moross, Kelly and Eastland. New schedule on all days

No. 32 McNichols — Extend route to start/end at Meijer Old Redford on Saturday and Sunday. New schedule on all days

No. 34 Gratiot — Route travels between 8 Mile & Gratiot and downtown; use 17 Eight Mile for service to Eastland. New schedule on all days . Add 24-hour service on all days.

No.41 Schaefer — New schedule on all days

No. 45 7 Mile — Extend route to start/end at Meijer Old Redford on all days. New schedule on all days for enhanced travel options and more reliable service.

No. 53 Woodward — New schedule on Sunday . Add 24-hour service on all days.

All other routes may feature minor schedule changes (affecting approximately 3% of all trips) because of a revised schedule-building method.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.