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Phillip Eng

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For the Austrian racing driver, see Philipp Eng.

Phillip Eng
Eng in 2022
Born1961 or 1962 (age 62–63)
Alma materCooper Union (BE)
Years active1983–present
Known for

Phillip Eng (born 1961 or 1962)[1] is an American civil engineer and transit executive currently serving as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Early life and education

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Eng is the son of Chinese immigrants. He grew up in Williston Park on Long Island, then moved to Mineola.[2][3]

He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Cooper Union in 1983.[4]

Career

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Eng began his career in 1983 as a junior engineer at the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). He became the department's chief engineer and executive deputy commissioner in 2013.[5] At NYSDOT, he helped execute projects including the construction of the Kosciuszko Bridge and the opening of Rochester station.[4]

In March 2017, Eng was named chief operating officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, then became the New York City Transit Authority's interim president for four months beginning that October.[2][5] In 2018, he became the 40th president of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).[2][6] In that role, he enacted the initiative "LIRR Forward" to improve the system's reliability, setting on-time records in 2020 and 2021.[7]

After he retired from the LIRR in 2022, he was hired as executive vice president of the LiRo Group, a construction management firm.[8]

Eng was appointed by Massachusetts governor Maura Healey to head the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and started as general manager in April 2023.[9] At the time he assumed leadership, the MBTA faced a maintenance backlog worth an estimated $24.5 billion.[10] In his first year, he vowed to clear the slow zones that plagued many of the MBTA's lines and recover ridership lost to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

The MBTA had been widely criticized for mismanagement before Eng's appointment; the executive director of the agency's advisory board told Axios six months into Eng's term in leadership that "with Phil Eng, it's like the adults are finally in charge."[12] He is the first MBTA general manager since 2015 with previous experience leading a transit agency.[1] In April 2024, Boston.com ran an "unscientific" poll of its readers, finding the plurality of readers giving Eng a grade of 'A' for his job performance at the MBTA. While some were frustrated by the deliberate shutdowns created to clear the slow zones, most readers had praise for Eng's tenure in Boston transit, emphasizing Eng's positive changes in transparency, communication, as well as tangible improvements in their commutes.[13] Eng has also been lauded for his improvements in management and culture at the MBTA.[14]

Personal life

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Eng is married and has four children. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near the Lechmere station.[1]

Eng is a beer enthusiast and homebrews his own beer.[15] He is a fan of the New York Mets.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dolven, Taylor (July 8, 2023). "The MBTA's new leader is more optimistic about Boston's subway than you are". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Castillo, Alfonso A. (April 13, 2018). "MTA names its COO, from Smithtown, as next LIRR president". Newsday. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Wolfe, Jonathan (April 19, 2018). "New York Today: A Q. & A. With the New L.I.R.R. President". The New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Phillip Eng CE'83". The Cooper Union. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Seay, Bob (March 28, 2023). "5 things to know about Phillip Eng, the new general manager of the MBTA". GBH News. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Dolven, Taylor; Soebroto, Ashley (April 10, 2023). "As Phillip Eng takes over as MBTA general manager, his focus: 'regain that trust'". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  7. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (February 11, 2022). "LIRR president Phillip Eng resigns; Metro-North president named replacement". Newsday. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "The LiRo Group Welcomes Phillip Eng, PE, as Executive Vice President". LiRo. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Deehan, Mike (April 11, 2023). "New MBTA chief Phillip Eng kicks off work at embattled agency". Axios Boston. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Wirzbicki, Alan (December 19, 2023). "For Phil Eng, fixing the T is a step toward bigger things". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  11. ^ Kashinsky, Lisa; Garrity, Kelly; McCarthy, Mia (November 27, 2023). "Phil Eng spills the T". Politico. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Deehan, Mike (October 3, 2023). "A look at MBTA GM Phillip Eng's first 6 months". Axios Boston. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  13. ^ "Here's how readers would grade Phillip Eng's first year at the MBTA". boston.com. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  14. ^ "MBTA General Manager Phil Eng finishes first year on the job. So how's he doing? - CBS Boston". CBSnews. April 10, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  15. ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (August 2, 2023). "'Little by little': MBTA GM Phil Eng talks hiring sprees, slow zones and beer". WBUR. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
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