MBTA General Manager Brings Rider Satisfaction to Highest Level in Decade

Phillip Eng has pushed passenger satisfaction at the MBTA to 67% in November 2025. This marks the best rating in over a decade since he took the reins as general manager in March 2023. The number shows a big leap from 35% satisfaction when he started.

The 64-year-old left retirement from his job as head of the Long Island Rail Road to run Boston's transit system. He rides the MBTA to work each day. During his commute, he sends photos to coworkers when he sees coffee spills, graffiti, or other problems.

Orange Line trains now arrive within five minutes of their scheduled time 97% of trips, up from 75% in the year before Eng arrived. Red Line performance jumped to 86% from 43% during the same stretch.

"My colleagues know. I will send a photo of a coffee cup spill. I'll send a photo of something that needs attention. I'll send pictures of graffiti. Let's get that cleaned up because details do matter," said Eng, according to CBS Boston.

The transit system has finished what Eng called "40 years of work in 14 months." Slow zones have been wiped out on the Orange Line, and new train cars are running. More people are riding as trains run better across the system.

Eng shuts down lines for focused repair work rather than stretching closures over many weekends. A two-week Green Line shutdown is happening in December to replace equipment from the 1890s.

"Well, we have different segments of work through the whole year. There's almost no right time," Eng said. "There's so much happening throughout the whole year. Sporting events, shows, festivals."

The turnaround has required billions in funding from the governor and state lawmakers. Eng acknowledged spending must decrease as the system stabilizes, though future expansions would require more money.

The general manager has gotten attention on social media platforms like Reddit. Users have posted comments such as "Eng for mayor" and "this dude rocks." He has four children who sometimes point out the online praise.

"They're passionate. They love their transit system. They know how important it is. And I do see those from time to time, my kids will point them out to me," Eng said.