MTA plans upgraded electronic strip maps for 2 and 5 lines

Riders on the 2 and 5 subway lines will soon get upgraded electronic strip maps on their trains that will give accurate information even when service changes move the subway cars around, the MTA said Friday.

The improvement should end any confusion when a 2 train is rerouted onto the 5 line, for example, by having the routes of both lines on the strips and illuminating the one in use, the agency said.

Currently, each train has only the information for that line, which leaves riders in the dark if routes are changed as the trains weave through Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.

The strip maps are unique to the 2 and 5 lines because they share a fleet of subway cars, the agency said.

On weekdays, both lines share the terminal at Brooklyn College, and trains are switched to meet needs, the agency said.

It will take several months to install the strip maps, and the cost cannot be determined until the work is done, an MTA spokesman said.