By Kevin Vu, WBUR
The Boston City council on Wednesday voted to subpoena MBTA general manager Phil Eng to testify over the controversial Blue Hill Avenue redevelopment project.
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. Mayor Wu previously said the new designs will “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.”
However, the plan has received criticism from residents who are concerned the proposed center bus lane would be unsafe, negatively impact local businesses and make traffic worse.
City Councilor Miniard Culpepper, who filed the subpoena order, said he summoned Eng, who also serves as the state’s interim transportation secretary, after he didn’t show up to an Oct. 14 field hearing to discuss the civil rights implications of the plan.
“This was an official council hearing that we had at the William Reed Auditorium, and he failed to show up,” Culpepper said during Wednesday’s meeting. “What bothers me the most, not only did he fail to show up, he failed to even respond or submit a written statement.”
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.
Culpepper said he wants Eng to answer questions on the project’s civil rights implications, as it runs through predominantly Black and historically marginalized communities. Culpepper has also pushed for an alternative for the area, like an Orange Line extension.
“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. “They deserve answers from the state officials responsible for these decisions.”
Eight of the 13 councilors voted in favor of the subpoena order.
Councilor Sharon Durkan, who voted against the subpoena, said the city should go forward with a project that is backed by federal funding. Federal grants will supply more than half the funds for the project, with the city most recently securing $80 million in March. She said the summon order is “not an appropriate use.”
“The summons power that we have is incredibly important, so we should be choosy in the way that we use that power,” Durkan said. “I don’t want to make a mockery of the summons process.”
The MBTA said in a statement they have not received any official subpoenas from the from City Council.
Mayor Michelle Wu’s office said in a statement that the city “does not believe that subpoenas are a constructive way to engage with close partners in government.”
This article was first published by WBUR on Oct. 22, 2026. The Reporter and WBUR share content through a media partnership.
