Phillip Eng, former LIRR president, will be the next general manager of the MBTA, Healey announced
Phillip Eng, former president of the Long Island Rail Road, will take over as general manager of the MBTA beginning April 10, the Healey administration announced Monday.
The announcement ends a months-long search for a new leader for the beleaguered transit agency.
“Phil Eng is the proven leader the MBTA needs to improve safety and reliability across the system and restore public trust,”[ads1]; Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “He understands that a functioning transportation system is essential to a functioning economy, and he has a track record of taking the reins of struggling public transit systems and dramatically improving service.”
Since June, Eng has been executive director of the engineering consultancy The LiRo group, and has advised public and private clients on engineering, transport and infrastructure projects, the announcement states. He was earlier president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), from 2018 until early last year, when he announced his retirement. Before that, he was chief operating officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and an executive deputy director of the New York State Department of Transportation, where he worked for decades in engineering roles.
As LIRR president, Eng oversaw a workforce of more than 7,000 people. Before he took the helm, the LIRR, a commuter rail system, posted its worst on-time performance in 18 years, the New York state comptroller found. Under his watch, on-time performance steadily improved.
“It’s time for a new way of doing business at the MBTA,” Eng said in a statement. “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.
“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.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Taylor Dolven can be reached at taylor.dolven@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @taydolven.
