Boston City Council votes to subpoena MBTA general manager over Blue Hill Avenue project

Eight of 13 councilors back the subpoena, deepening a fight over the bus redesign

By LineZotpaper

Published22 October 2026

Read Time3 min

The Boston City Council voted on Wednesday to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng to testify about the $163 million Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment, after he did not appear at an Oct. 14 council hearing on the project's civil rights implications. Eight of the 13 councilors supported the measure, which targets a redesign that would add center bus lanes along the corridor between Mattapan and Dorchester.

The Boston City Council voted on Wednesday to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng over the $163 million Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment project, escalating a dispute over a plan that has split elected officials and residents.

The project would add center bus lanes along a three-mile stretch of Blue Hill Avenue between Mattapan and Dorchester, new crosswalks and sidewalks, and 42 parking spaces. Mayor Michelle Wu has previously said the new designs would "nearly cut in half the amount of time the bus rides along the corridor" and would mean "a bus would come every three to six minutes."

Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who filed the subpoena order, said he summoned Eng, who also serves as the state's interim transportation secretary, after Eng did not attend an Oct. 14 field hearing on the plan's civil rights implications. "This was an official council hearing that we had at the William Reed Auditorium, and he failed to show up," Culpepper said. "What bothers me the most, not only did he fail to show up, he failed to even respond or submit a written statement."

Culpepper, who has pushed for an Orange Line extension as an alternative to the redesign, said residents of the corridor "deserve meaningful consideration of long-term rapid transit alternatives, including a feasibility study of an Orange Line extension." The route runs through predominantly Black and historically marginalized communities, and some residents have said the proposed center bus lane could be unsafe, hurt local businesses and worsen traffic.

The MBTA said it "previously informed the City Council that the General Manager was unavailable on Oct. 14" and noted that Eng participated in two of the most recent public meetings on the redesign. The agency said it has not received any official subpoenas from the City Council.

Eight of the 13 councilors voted in favor of the subpoena. Councilor Sharon Durkan, who voted against it, said the city should go forward with a project backed by federal funding, with grants supplying more than half of the cost and $80 million secured in March. "I don't want to make a mockery of the summons process," she said. Mayor Wu's office said the city "does not believe that subpoenas are a constructive way to engage with close partners in government."

Analysis

Why This Matters

The vote escalates a standoff between the City Council and the MBTA over a major transit project in a corridor serving predominantly Black and historically marginalized communities.
The case tests the council's authority to compel testimony from a state official, and the outcome could shape how the city and state government handle future disputes.
Federal grants cover more than half of the project's cost, so the conflict could complicate a plan that already has significant federal backing.

Background

The MBTA is the public transit authority for the Greater Boston region, and Eng serves as both its general manager and Massachusetts' interim transportation secretary. Blue Hill Avenue is a major corridor through Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan, neighborhoods that Culpepper described as predominantly Black and historically marginalized. Center-lane bus corridors of the kind proposed typically reduce bus travel times but often meet resistance from drivers, businesses and residents concerned about congestion and access. The Orange Line, one of the MBTA's rail lines, does not reach Mattapan, part of the backdrop for calls to study an extension.

Key Perspectives

Councilor Miniard Culpepper and subpoena supporters: They want Eng to answer questions about the project's civil rights implications and about his absence from the Oct. 14 hearing, and they are pressing for a feasibility study of long-term rapid transit alternatives, including an Orange Line extension.

The MBTA and Mayor Wu's administration: They say Eng was unavailable on Oct. 14 and had already attended two of the most recent public meetings on the redesign. Wu's office argues that subpoenas are not a constructive way to engage with close partners in government.

Critics and skeptics: Councilor Sharon Durkan says the council's summons power should be used sparingly and that the federally funded project should proceed. Some residents have raised concerns that the center bus lane could be unsafe, harm local businesses and make traffic worse.

What to Watch

Whether the MBTA receives an official subpoena and how it responds, including whether Eng appears to testify or submits written answers.
Whether the council's push for a feasibility study of an Orange Line extension gains traction at the state level.
Whether the dispute delays the project, which relies on federal grants for more than half of its $163 million cost.

Sources

Boston City Council votes to subpoena MBTA GM Phil Eng over Blue Hill Avenue project · WBUR News

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12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

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SupportedThe Boston City Council voted to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng to testify about the Blue Hill Avenue project.WBUR News: “The Boston City council on Wednesday voted to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng to testify over the controversial Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment project .”
SupportedEight of 13 councilors supported the subpoena.WBUR News: “Eight of the 13 councilors voted in favor of the subpoena order.”
Partly supportedThe vote is deepening a fight over the bus redesign.WBUR News: “The Boston City council on Wednesday voted to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng to testify over the controversial Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment project .”
SupportedThe project is a $163 million redevelopment.WBUR News: “The $163 million plan would add center bus lanes along a three-mile stretch of Blue Hill Avenue between Mattapan and Dorchester”
SupportedEng did not appear at an Oct. 14 council hearing about the plan’s civil-rights implications.WBUR News: “after he didn't show up to an Oct. 14 field hearing to discuss the civil rights implications of the plan.”
SupportedMayor Wu said the new designs would “nearly cut in half the amount of time the bus rides along the corridor.”WBUR News: “Mayor Wu previously said the new designs will "nearly cut in half the amount of time the bus rides along the corridor"”
SupportedMayor Wu said the redesign would mean “a bus would come every three to six minutes.”WBUR News: “and would mean "a bus would come every three to six minutes."”
SupportedCulpepper said Eng “failed to even respond or submit a written statement.”WBUR News: “"What bothers me the most, not only did he fail to show up, he failed to even respond or submit a written statement."”
Partly supportedCulpepper said corridor residents “deserve meaningful consideration of long-term rapid transit alternatives, including a feasibility study of an Orange Line extension.”WBUR News: “"The residents of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan deserve meaningful consideration of long-term rapid transit alternatives, including a feasibility study of an Orange Line extension," Culpepper said.”
SupportedThe project would add center bus lanes along three miles of Blue Hill Avenue and create 42 parking spaces.WBUR News: “The $163 million plan would add center bus lanes along a three-mile stretch of Blue Hill Avenue between Mattapan and Dorchester, new crosswalks and sidewalks, and the construction of 42 parking spaces.”
SupportedThe MBTA said it had not received an official subpoena from the City Council.WBUR News: “The MBTA said in a statement they have not received any official subpoenas from the from City Council.”
SupportedThe MBTA said it had told the council Eng was unavailable on Oct. 14 and that he had attended two recent public meetings on the redesign.WBUR News: “The MBTA said in a statement that the organization "previously informed the City Council that the General Manager was unavailable on Oct. 14" and that Eng participated in two of the most recent public meetings on the redesign.”