Mass. Gov. Healey taps MBTA boss Phil Eng as state’s interim transportation secretary
Gov. Maura Healey has named MBTA General Manager Philip Eng as the state's interim transportation secretary, replacing Monica Tibbits-Nutt at the helm of an agency that's faced steady criticism for its handling of a botched service plaza contract for the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Tibbits-Nutt's departure became official on Thursday morning. She'll also step down as the CEO of the state Department of Transportation, but will continue to serve as an adviser until Dec. 31, Healey's office said in a statement. She plans to return to private industry, the administration said.
Eng, who also will continue to run the T, said during a Thursday news conference that he would not lose focus on management of the agency.
"I'm going to stay as committed, as focused on delivering and making sure that the positive results that we're seeing today continue and get even better," he told reporters. Thursday.
"I'm not worried about my capabilities," Eng said when asked if he would be stretched too thin in the dual role.
He said he trusted his staff at both MassDOT and the MBTA.Eng said he and Healey had not discussed whether he would be a candidate for the permanent transportation secretary position.
"I'm open to holding it as long as it's needed, and I'm open to supporting the public and the commonwealth in any way," he said.
Eng also said he had spoken with Tibbits-Nutt but had no insight into what her next steps are."We've had a lot of successes and I wish her well," he said.
Meanwhile, state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver has also been promoted to undersecretary of transportation. He will retain his role as highway administrator while also taking on expanded responsibilities as undersecretary, Healey's office said.
State Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt speaks at the levee trail groundbreaking in Westfield, flanked by state Rep. Kelly Pease, left, and Mayor Michael McCabe. (AMY PORTER / THE WESTFIELD NEWS)The Westfield News
During a news conference at the State House, Healey said she believed Eng was the "right person for the job," and that she was "focused right now ... on getting him onboarded," and the new leadership team in place.
"You know, obviously, an interim can't last forever, but you know, we're going to take that as it comes," she said.
In the administration's statement, Eng said he looked forward to the new role and "working even more closely with Undersecretary Gulliver and their great team to deliver the world-class transportation system that the people of Massachusetts and our visitors deserve."
Healey tapped Eng, A mass transit veteran, to run the T in March 2023, where he set about a massive repair regime for the nation's oldest subway system.
The T has since eliminated its slow zones and continues to work on signal repairs across the system. The T also opened South Coast rail, delivering rail service to southeastern Massachusetts for the first time in 65 years, Healey's office said.
Before coming to Massachusetts, Eng spent decades working in New York. He oversaw New York City's subway system and the Long Island Railroad before joining the MBTA.
Gulliver called the leadership switch an "exciting moment for the future of Massachusetts' transportation infrastructure, as we have the opportunity to make transformative upgrades and deliver for our people and our economy."
Kate Dineen, the president and CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group A Better City , thanked Tibbits-Nutt for her work at MassDOT, pointing to her work on the restoration of the Sumner Tunnel in Boston as one example.
"A strong, reliable transportation system is the backbone of Massachusetts' economic growth, quality of life, and competitiveness," Dineen said in a statement. "A Better City applauds the appointments of Phil Eng as interim transportation secretary and Johnathan Gulliver as undersecretary — two proven leaders with deep experience in delivering complex projects and modernizing critical infrastructure."
In a statement, the right-leaning Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance , which had been critical of Tibbits-Nutt's leadership, called her resignation "long overdue."
"From the start, Secretary Tibbits-Nutt's conduct and policies revealed a deep hostility toward taxpayers and ordinary commuters. Her departure is a necessary first step if the Healey administration has any interest in restoring accountability at MassDOT," Paul Diego Craney, the group's executive director, said.
Republican gubernatorial candidates Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve released dueling statements arguing that Tibbits-Nutt should have left her post far earlier than she had.
"It is mind-boggling why Maura Healey did not demand her resignation after proposing toll increases and the recent service plaza bid debacle," Shortsleeve, who helmed the MBTA under former GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, said.
Healey "should have fired Secretary Tibbits-Nutt the moment she declared she wanted to 'go after anyone who has money' and vowed to create more and raise tolls across the Commonwealth," Kennealy, who was Baker's housing and economic development chief, said.
MassLive Reporter Charlie McKenna contributed to this story.
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