BOSTON, Mass. — Boston city councilors have taken the unusual step of ordering the head of the MBTA to come answer their questions. In an 8-2 vote Wednesday, the council approved a subpoena for General Manager Phil Eng tied to the fight over the Blue Hill Avenue redesign.
Councilor Miniard Culpepper, a Dorchester Democrat, filed the order after Eng skipped an Oct. 14 field hearing Culpepper chaired on transit gaps in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan. The MBTA has said it told the council ahead of time that Eng could not attend that date, and that its leader has already taken part in public sessions on the project and met with Culpepper and Councilor Brian Worrell in June.
The underlying dispute is over a center-running bus lane planned for the corridor by the T and Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration. Supporters say the work would speed trips for about 40,000 riders and make the street safer. Federal grants make up the largest share of the money at $95 million, with the state adding $40 million, the city $18 million and the T $11 million. Culpepper and Worrell want a study of bringing the Orange Line down Blue Hill Avenue instead.
Two councilors, Sharon Durkan and Gabriela Coletta Zapata, voted no, while Benjamin Weber, Enrique Pepén and John FitzGerald each voted present. Durkan argued the council should save its summons power for rare cases. A Wu spokesperson said the mayor’s office does not see subpoenas as a constructive way to work with government partners, and the MBTA said it is reviewing the council’s request.
The council seldom uses this tool. Its last attempt, in 2024, targeted Boston’s postmaster, and the Postal Service refused to comply.
Section: More Boston MA politics news
Filed under: Boston MA Politics News
