Transportation Justice Fellow Spotlight: Jenée Malloy

As part of a monthly series leading up to the 2025 NACTO Designing Cities Conference in Washington, D.C., we’re highlighting this year’s fellows to learn more about them and their work.

The Transportation Justice Fellowship, organized by NACTO as part of the Better Bike Share Partnership, builds community and skills among early- and mid-career people of color working to embed mobility justice in transportation. The Fellowship supports members of the cohort as they do the heavy work of operationalizing equity across the transportation field.

This month, we’d like to introduce fellow Jenée Malloy, a policy analyst in the bicycle unit of the New York City Department of Transportation. Read her interview below to learn how she got into transportation, why transportation justice is important to her, and what she gets up to living in Brooklyn, New York.

WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN TRANSPORTATION?

Bikes. I got one in college mostly for safety — I didn’t feel comfortable walking alone at night or waiting for a bus that might not show up. Having that bike let me get around on my own terms, and it opened up the city in ways I didn’t expect. Once I started navigating the city differently, I noticed things I wish I could change to get around more efficiently. That led to reading books about cities and urban planning, and the more I read the more I realized how crucial transportation is in connecting people to the resources that matter most.

WHY IS TRANSPORTATION JUSTICE IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I believe access to equitable transportation creates opportunities and drives growth by keeping communities connected. Cities are nothing without the people who live in them, and investing in safe, reliable transportation is a way to invest in people. But I’m tired of seeing communities of color served last or left out completely when it comes to access to jobs, schools, fresh food, or even family. Transportation justice isn’t just about having transit options, it’s about making sure those options actually work. Unreliable, unsafe service isn’t much better than no service at all. Everyone deserves a system they can rely on.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE?

I love the culture and vibrancy of all the different neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It’s hard to get bored here and whenever I do get tired of my go-to spots, I just head one or two neighborhoods over for a completely different vibe. Also, I found a great place along the Ocean Parkway bike path, one of the oldest bike paths in the country! It needs some TLC, but I love how it connects so many neighborhoods. You can ride it from Prospect Park all the way to the Coney Island boardwalk which is pretty cool. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO SPEND A WEEKEND?

I like to be active so I typically rotate between yoga, the rock climbing gym, or a bike ride with friends on the weekend. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The Better Bike Share Partnership is funded by The JPB Foundation as a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Have a question or a story idea? Email odochi@peopleforbikes.org