Eng starts as the new general manager of the MBTA on Monday
Phillip Eng began his term Monday as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Eng is an engineer with nearly 40 years of experience in transportation, including as president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road and interim president of New York City Transit. The new general manager took the Blue Line to work and spoke with riders about their experiences and goals for the MBTA. His first day on the job came two weeks after Gov. Maura Healey announced he would become the MBTA’s new leader. “It’s time for a new way of doing business at the MBTA. As an engineer, transport professional for 40 years, and a commuter myself, I am laser-focused on finding innovative solutions to complex problems and approach them with a sense of urgency that always puts the customer first,” said Eng on March 27. “I am also committed to supporting the hard-working employees who keep the MBTA running and increasing hiring to ensure we have the workforce in place to deliver the reliable service that riders deserve.”[ads1]; Eng worked his way through the ranks of the New York State Department of Transportation beginning in the 1980s, eventually serving as executive deputy director and chief engineer from 2013-17. He then served as Chief Operating Officer of the MTA, where he oversaw successful efforts to improve performance and efficiency across all agencies, including the NYC Transit Authority, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels. Eng led the procurement and award of a $540 million contract to modernize the MTA’s mobile ticketing system and improved the MTA’s contracting methods to better ensure that projects would be completed on time, at reduced costs, and with improved quality and durability. From 2018 to 2022, Eng served as president of the MTA Long Island Rail Road, where he managed a system with 7,600 employees and a $1.6 billion operating budget. He transformed the system from having the worst on-time performance in decades to having the most consistent on-time performance in railroad history. His salary will be $470,000 before bonuses. Former MBTA CEO Steve Poftak earned about $417,000, including bonuses. Eng will have an annual payout of $30,000, and each year beginning in July 2024, he will earn success bonuses of 10%, 15% and 20% of his salary. Eng will face enormous challenges with the troubled public transit system brought into sharp focus over the past year. One of the safety concerns was an Orange Line train that caught fire in July 2022 on a bridge in Somerville, prompting dozens of passengers to evacuate the train and one to jump into the Mystic River below. The fire was one of several MBTA safety issues that sparked a federal investigation, which led to a scathing report from the Federal Transit Administration. Video below: Troubled report on MBTA safety In March, the MBTA implemented global speed limits on trains and trolleys after officials learned proper documentation of safety tests was lacking.
Phillip Eng began his term Monday as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
Eng is an engineer with nearly 40 years of experience in transportation, including as president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road and interim president of New York City Transit.
The new general manager took the Blue Line to work and spoke with riders about their experiences and goals for the MBTA.
His first day on the job came two weeks after Gov. Maura Healey announced he would become the MBTA’s new leader.
“It’s time for a new way of doing business at the MBTA. As an engineer, transport professional for 40 years, and a commuter myself, I am laser-focused on finding innovative solutions to complex problems and approach them with a sense of urgency that always puts the customer first,” said Eng on March 27. “I am also committed to supporting the hard-working employees who keep the MBTA running and increasing hiring to ensure we have the workforce in place to deliver the reliable service that riders deserve.”
Eng worked his way through the ranks of the New York State Department of Transportation beginning in the 1980s, eventually serving as executive deputy director and chief engineer from 2013-17.
He then served as Chief Operating Officer of the MTA, where he oversaw successful efforts to improve performance and efficiency across all agencies, including the NYC Transit Authority, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, and MTA Bridges and Tunnels.
Eng led the procurement and award of a $540 million contract to modernize the MTA’s mobile ticketing system and improved the MTA’s contracting methods to better ensure that projects would be completed on time, at reduced costs, and with improved quality and durability.
From 2018 to 2022, Eng served as president of the MTA Long Island Rail Road, where he managed a system with 7,600 employees and a $1.6 billion operating budget. He transformed the system from having the worst on-time performance in decades to having the most consistent on-time performance in railroad history.
His salary will be $470,000 before bonuses. Former MBTA CEO Steve Poftak earned about $417,000, including bonuses. Eng will have an annual payout of $30,000, and each year beginning in July 2024, he will earn success bonuses of 10%, 15% and 20% of his salary.
Eng will face enormous challenges with the troubled public transport system that was brought into sharp focus during the past year.
One of the safety concerns was an Orange Line train that caught fire in July 2022 on a bridge in Somerville, prompting dozens of passengers to evacuate the train and one to jump into the Mystic River below.
The fire was one of several MBTA safety problems that sparked a federal investigation, which led to a scathing report from the Federal Transit Administration.
Video below: Worrying report on MBTA safety
In March, the MBTA implemented global speed limits on trains and trolleys after officials learned proper documentation of safety tests was missing.
