Governor Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, and Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca arrived by the Green Line at Riverside Station to introduce the MBTA’s new General Manager, Phillip Eng. A small group of MBTA employees were on hand to greet their new boss. Mr. Eng, an engineer and former President of the Metropolitan Transportation’s Long Island Railroad and interim President of New York City Transit, is credited with rescuing a large, flawed rail system.
Governor Healey said that she, Lt. Governor Driscoll, and Secretary Fiandaca were very involved in the process of selecting Mr. Eng and promised that he would have the support of the administration. She assured the group of MBTA workers on hand to meet Mr. Eng that he will be a hands-on manager and really understands the challenges ahead. At the same time, the Governor told the workers that she was grateful to them and wanted them to stay. Mr. Eng said he is “looking forward to the challenge” and that he will be reaching out to the workers to ask, “How do I make your job easier?” and to empower his staff.
When asked about needing for money to fix MBTA’s many problems, Mr. Eng acknowledged that “sometimes you need to spend money to save money.” Governor Healey proclaimed it “a good day for Boston and for the Commonwealth.”