The Council Subpoenaed the T's Boss. Now Everybody's Mad at Everybody.

The Boston City Council voted 8-2 on Oct. 21 to summon MBTA General Manager Phil Eng to testify Nov. 6 about the Blue Hill Avenue bus lane project and a proposed Orange Line extension, after he didn't show for an Oct. 14 hearing. Councilor Miniard Culpepper filed it. Three councilors voted present, which is the council version of leaving the group chat on read.

Eng told NBC10 Boston he had a scheduling conflict. Culpepper told Boston.com, "They ignored us completely. Not even a phone call to say he wasn't coming." The T says it "previously informed the City Council." So somebody's voicemail is lying.

The order also asks for crash data from 2022 through 2026 on Blue Hill Avenue and on Columbus Avenue, where a center-running bus lane already exists. That's actually the useful part. If you want to argue about whether the lanes are safer, bring numbers.

Mayor Wu's office said subpoenas aren't "a constructive way to engage with close partners in government." Councilor Sharon Durkan voted no so the council wouldn't make a "mockery" of its subpoena power. Culpepper, asked what happens if Eng doesn't show: "I'll see him in court." Meanwhile Eng says the worst thing would be to lose the federal dollars. Everybody's got a point. Nobody's got a bus lane.

What we still don't know: whether Eng actually shows up Nov. 6, what the crash numbers say, and whether the price tag is $163 million (Boston.com) or $124 million (NBC10), because the coverage can't agree.