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Complete slow zone elimination is just days away for the MBTA, says Eng
The T will soon be free of slow zones for the first time in more than two decades, according to MBTA General Manager Phil Eng.
By the week’s end, the MBTA’s subways will be entirely free of speed restrictions for the first time in more than two decades, according to General Manager Phil Eng.
“We’re working on the last few restrictions on the Green Line,” he said on WCVB’s “On the Record” Sunday. “The system will be restriction-free for the first time in over 22 years — that’s as far back as our records go.”
Eng vowed last year to eliminate the nearly 200 subway slow zones peppering the MBTA’s rails by the close of 2024. And with the two-week Green Line shutdown ending Friday, he’ll make good on that promise with a few days to spare.
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While riders can still expect to see new speed restrictions pop up from time to time, Eng stressed that the T’s focus on timely repairs and clearer communication is here to stay.
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“I want to make a commitment to the public: speed restrictions are temporary,” he said. “They’re not going to be long-term. Our commitment is if something occurs, we’re going to tackle it quickly, properly, and allow them to continue to have that safe, reliable service.”
The amount of work the T has accomplished over the past year has been “monumental and record-breaking, for us,” Eng said. “But there’s so much more work in our system that needs to be done.”
There’s also the matter of the MBTA’s $700 million budget gap projected for fiscal 2026.
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“There has been a lot of discussion, both publicly and behind the scenes, regarding the MBTA’s needs,” Eng said Sunday, emphasizing that other transit agencies throughout the U.S. are facing similar deficits.
He said the T is working “very aggressively” with federal partners, and “I’m optimistic that the state will be able to identify available funds to address some of those needs.”
While Eng said ridership numbers have been inching back up in 2024 — particularly on the commuter rail, which has seen more frequent all-day service — he was adamant the T can’t rely on fares to address its funding problem.
“Fares alone cannot solve this issue,” Eng said.
He also touched on his ongoing mission to reform the culture of the T, a goal that’s been in the spotlight in recent months amid an investigation into alleged employee misconduct at Cabot Yard. Eng confirmed the T has fired a total of eight Cabot Yard workers in connection with allegations that employees were working on private vehicles while on the clock.
“The investigation continues,” he said, noting that some workers remain on leave and another received a suspension.
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“When you do something like this, you not only discredit yourself and your family, unfortunately — you discredit your colleagues, and that’s something that we are going to continue to stress internally,” Eng said. “That’s not acceptable, and when we identify those things, if those are occurring, we’re going to take swift action. That’s how we rebuild public trust, and that’s how we demonstrate that we’re going to be putting taxpayer dollars to better use.”
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