BOSTON, MA — Governor Maura Healey announces that she has named Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) General Manager Phillip Eng as Interim Transportation Secretary. Eng will serve as both Interim Secretary and General Manager. Monica Tibbits-Nutt has made the decision to step down from her positions as Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and has agreed to continue as an advisor through December 31, 2025. Tibbits-Nutt plans to return to private industry.
“Secretary Tibbits-Nutt has led our entire statewide transportation system and a workforce of more than 12,000 employees," Healey said. "Under her leadership, we made significant progress on some of the most complex and consequential infrastructure investments in state history, including the Cape Cod Bridges, West/East Rail, and the Sumner Tunnel Restoration. During her tenure, MassDOT secured more than $1.8 billion in federal transportation funding — the highest in state history — and she was instrumental in advancing equitable fare policy across the state. ... We are grateful for Secretary Tibbits-Nutt's hard work and dedication to MassDOT and for her willingness to continue to serve as a resource for our administration."
“As General Manager of the MBTA, Phil Eng has overseen a transformative period for public transportation in our state and delivered the results that the people of Massachusetts have needed for a long time when it comes to safety and reliability," Healey added. "He is a trusted leader with decades of transportation experience, and I know that he is the right person to lead MassDOT during this period.”
Healey appointed Eng as General Manager of the MBTA in March 2023. Under his leadership, the MBTA eliminated all subway speed restrictions for the first time in over 20 years, opened South Coast Rail to deliver rail service to Southeastern Massachusetts for the first time in 65 years, continued the highest return to ridership rate in the nation on commuter rail with all day frequent train service, delivered new modern Orange and Red Line cars while accelerating modernization of the signal system on those lines, and hired thousands of labor workforce to rebuild the MBTA to better serve the riding public, communities, and businesses with shorter travel times and more frequent service.
Eng started his career at the New York State Department of Transportation beginning in 1983 as a Junior Engineer. Over the course of three decades Eng held many roles including planning, in-house design, bridge inspection including the four East River Bridges (Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Ed Koch Queensboro Bridges), maintenance, and operations. He ultimately served as Executive Deputy Commissioner and Chief Engineer from 2013 to 2017, delivering many projects including the Mario M. Cuomo Tappan Zee Bridge and Kosciuszko Bridge. He then served as Chief Operating Officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he oversaw 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.
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Eng was then tapped to serve as Interim President of NYC Transit, where he led a workforce of 50,000 employees and was integral to initiating and implementing the $836 million Subway Action Plan to fix aging infrastructure and improve performance across the system.
From 2018 to 2022, Eng served as President of the MTA Long Island Rail Road, where he managed a system of 7,600 employees and a $1.6 billion operating budget. He then served as Executive Vice President of the LiRo Group, where he advised public and private sector clients on engineering, transportation, and infrastructure projects.
“A well-balanced multimodal transportation network is essential. MassDOT and the MBTA work hand-in-hand to make sure our transportation system is safe, reliable, and modernized,” Eng said. “I look forward to taking on this interim role with MassDOT ... to deliver the world-class transportation system that the people of Massachusetts and our visitors deserve. I’m grateful for the partnership of Monica Tibbits-Nutt these past few years and her strong support of the reforms we have made at the T. It is an honor and privilege to serve every community across Massachusetts as part of Governor Healey's administration."
