Phil Eng Fires Back on Trump Administration’s Request for MBTA Safety Data

MBTA General Manager Phil Eng reaffirmed the agency's commitment to passenger safety, following questions from federal transportation officials about the transit system. 

Eng's response comes from concerns raised by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. In a letter dated Thursday, Oct. 2, Duffy threatened to withhold federal funding for the MBTA if it did not take measures to reduce crime and support passenger safety. The letter comes following a violent incident in September, where an older woman was pushed off an MBTA bus in Roxbury.

In a written response, Eng highlighted that federal funding has supported safety improvements, including upgraded surveillance and increased police presence.

Eng pointed to new cameras on trains and buses, writing, “Transit Police also has dedicated, actively monitored CCTV live feeds across our system…. Each new Orange and Red Line car and our Type 9 Green Line cars have five to six security cameras each…. Each bus has nine to 15 cameras…”

“Our work is never done, but the results are clear: We are delivering a safer, more reliable system for our riders, and we will continue to challenge ourselves every day to get better,” Eng said in a separate statement shared with Boston.com.

He stated that the MBTA Transit Police have recorded a 16% reduction in crime systemwide between Jan. 1 and Sept. 24 this year, compared to the same period in 2024. The department has also added dozens of police officers since fiscal year 2022. These measures are in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars the T has funneled into safety and security infrastructure in recent years, Eng noted.