BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The CEO and general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority doesn't just oversee the agency; he is also a faithful commuter.
"I do it every day. It's the best way to get around. I love the system and it gives me a chance to interact with the riders," Phillip Eng said.
Eng is a regular on "T," commuting every day from East Boston to downtown for work. He says the commute gives him firsthand experience of the riders' experience.
"Is it reliable? Are the messages clear? Is it clean? All the things that the riders really expect of our first-class transportation system. I want to be able to see it just as they are," Eng stated.
Officials from the MBTA recently responded to a negative report for the Boston-based think tank, the Pioneer Institute, which showed that spending had increased since the Fiscal and Management Control Board was disbanded.
Read More: MBTA Green Line D Branch Shutdown Begins, Shuttle Buses Replace Service
Representatives for the MBTA told WBZ NewsRadio in a statement that "Under the leadership of MBTA General Manager Eng, the MBTA’s Operating Budget reflects an unprecedented effort to increase hiring across the Authority as well as enhance and upgrade service systemwide. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Safety Management Inspection (SMI) report, issued under the previous Administration, clearly indicated that underinvestment in the MBTA impacted the safety of our operations – in order to accomplish the dramatic improvements at the T in safety, reliability, and service over the last several years, funding has been both necessary and critical."
Eng says he is committed to creating a reliable system not only for residents but also for himself.
"Well, I think it demonstrates the confidence that I have in getting me to where I need to get to reliably, safely," Eng said. "But again, you know, the other part is just being able to experience day in and day out what the riders feel from a perspective of, is it reliable?"
The Green Line D Branch is currently shut down between Riverside and Kenmore until Sept. 11 for track work.
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@carlwbz) reports.