Two years ago, she was Gov. Maura Healey’s handpicked candidate to oversee the Massachusetts transportation system.
Last year, she was advocating for toll booths at the state line, openly announcing her intention to target Granite State commuters — and interjecting the issue into the New Hampshire governor’s race.
Today, progressive activist Monica Tibbits-Nutt is out as the Department of Transportation’s secretary and MassDOT’s CEO. Her job was passed over to Phillip Eng, who already serves as general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
“We are grateful for Secretary Tibbits-Nutt’s hard work and dedication to MassDOT and for her willingness to continue to serve as a resource for our administration,” Healey said in a press release.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Healey insisted that — despite a steady flow of rumors about Tibbits-Nutt’s impending departure — the DOT chief was not forced out.
But many people on both sides of the line were happy to see her go.
“Good riddance,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “This secretary needed to go a long time ago. At one point, she bragged to an activist group about putting tolls on the border with New Hampshire. She bragged about going after people who drive trucks. The list goes on and on. Taxpayers can breathe more easily knowing this person is no longer in charge of policy in Massachusetts.”
In April 2024, Tibbits-Nutt told a pedestrian advocacy group she wanted to install tolls along the border of the Bay State’s major access points — a move that would hit the wallets of Granite State commuters particularly hard.
“I’m going to talk about tolling,” Tibbits-Nutt said during a speech to the special-interest group Walk Massachusetts. “And when I’m talking tolling, I’m talking at the borders. I’m not talking within Massachusetts.”
“We’re going after all the people who should be giving us money to make our transportation better and our communities better,” Tibbits-Nutt added.
She also lamented that she didn’t have the power to discourage people from buying pickup trucks.
“We can’t price them enough that it’s going to stop the type of person who wants to buy that car,” she said of Ford F-150–style trucks. “And I’m 100 percent passing judgment on someone who wants to drive basically an 18-wheeler as their personal car.”
Tibbits-Nutt’s comments immediately created headaches for both Healey and her choice for New Hampshire governor, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. Granite State Republicans, including future Gov. Kelly Ayotte, seized on the statements as more proof that Democrats want to take money from Granite Staters.
Not long after, the Massachusetts governor shot down the toll idea.
Another issue with implications across the line was Massachusetts’ decision to award driver’s licenses to people in the country illegally, a policy implemented and strongly supported by Tibbits-Nutt.
“We are especially proud of the language and interpreter assistance provided to applicants, underscoring our commitment to helping all eligible applicants,” she said in response to news that more than 50,000 new licenses were issued in the first six months after the policy took effect.
The issue has been in the headlines since an immigrant in the country illegally, who had valid driver’s licenses from California and Washington, killed three people while making an illegal U-turn. The driver later failed both his English and road-sign tests.
New Hampshire doesn’t issue driver’s licenses to people in the country illegally, and it refuses to recognize “drive only” licenses specifically issued to them.
As governor, Ayotte has made it clear she opposes new tolls for New Hampshire drivers on either side of the state line.
When state Sens. Mark McConkey (R-Freedom) and David Watters (D-Dover) urged Ayotte to embrace a turnpike toll hike, she responded with a one-word tweet: “NO.”
Asked about Tibbits-Nutt’s departure, Ayotte told NHJournal in a statement, “Unlike our neighbor to the south, we won’t be MASSing up our tolls.
“We welcome anyone seeking freedom from Massachusetts’ high taxes and sanctuary policies to come enjoy our beautiful outdoors, shop tax-free, or even move their business or family here.”
