Paying $1.25 for a subway fare would be a bargain in many cities around the country. Here in Boston, however, that fare will probably buy you a ride on a train that’s slow, overcrowded and unreliable. And when a trip that should take 15 minutes ends up taking 40, $1.25 starts to seem like no bargain at all.

The MBTA recently announced a likely 25 percent increase in its fares for January 2007, which would put the cost of a subway token at $1.55. Would a 30-cent hike serve to fix the problems that T-riders encounter on a daily basis? Probably not. The MBTA faces a woeful financial situation, and must do whatever it can to make up for a sizable budget deficit. A 25 percent hike would keep the system’s head above water by addressing certain problems, such as the rising cost of fuel — but it is not a long-term solution.

While a fare hike that does not improve subway service is unwelcome, we would not be averse to an increase that can effect real change — say, a 75-cent hike. Charging $2.00 for a basic subway fare would allow the MBTA to make significant improvements while putting the system on par with the much more efficient MTA of New York.

It would be nice if MBTA General Manager Daniel Graubaskas could wave a magic wand that would suddenly make the T reliable, but it’s unlikely that the days of waiting half an hour for a Green Line trolley will be behind us anytime soon. Yet it doesn’t seem like too much to ask for the T to implement a system that could inform its riders of when trains are on their way, as Washington, D.C.’s Metro system does. In each station, electronic signs hanging from the ceiling tell riders how many minutes it will be until the arrival of the next train. This system would go a long way toward improving customer satisfaction in Boston, if not actually making subway cars travel faster.

A T fare increase is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that when we hear we’re going to be paying more for a basic service, we expect to see better results. We urge the MBTA not to charge more for the same old T. Instead, charge $2.00 and give us a system that the people of Boston can be proud of.