Java.DEC.20162-2

Phoenix’s John Romero is a bicycle pioneer trying to manifest a more
environmentally friendly destiny for a city brimming with hope. Phoenix
isn’t exactly known as a bike-friendly place, but Romero is working to
buck that trend.
Historically, Phoenix’s sprawl has created an unfriendly environment for bicycles.
In recent years, the city has shifted to create a more bicycle-friendly
infrastructure, and Romero has been at the forefront of that movement. He
has helped launched a bike share program in Phoenix and 11 other cities
throughout the country as the Chief Operating Officer of CycleHop, the
company that operates Grid Bike Share locally. He also owns and operates The
Bicycle Cellar in Tempe, which is a bike commuter support facility.
Romero was raised in southern California after his family emigrated from Mexico.
In many ways, he had to learn things on his own in the United States, putting
himself through school and developing his life from the ground up. Eventually, after
attending college in California, he got a job in photo production. He stayed in that
industry for over 15 years, working his way up to associate photographer with a
production company, where he had reps and agents selling his own work.
“It was monotonous, stressful and never ending,” Romero said. “That whole time I
was into bicycles. I went from using them for recreation as a kid, then for sport and
eventually for transportation as an adult. The irony was that all of my clients were
in the automotive industry, yet I had modeled my life around sustainability.”
As Romero tired of working in commercial photography, one of his friends
told him about an opportunity with the City of Tempe to build a bicycle
commuter center—the first of its kind in Arizona. He started doing the
legwork and research, but didn’t think he had a chance of winning the bid.
When he was selected as the winner, he became responsible for launching
the center.
Breaking from a career in photography wasn’t easy. “I took a 75 percent pay cut,
but I’m less stressed, happy and doing something that has meaning for me,” said
Romero. It took four years of lean living before he was able to gain a comfortable
lifestyle.
“I was already a believer of the bicycle as a tool,” said Romero, “not just for folly
or sport. In my mind I saw the potential.” The commuter center has proved a real
success story for the city. It has been around for about nine years now, and though
it started with a negative cash flow for the first two years, Romero was able to
provide his crew with raises.
“It’s a hard thing for Arizona,” said Romero. “In Santa Monica, for instance—
immediate success. They are a high-density city with a bike infrastructure already
in place, the bicycle is far more appealing and they have very pleasant weather
year round. Since I started this business, I’ve been on an intensive diet of
NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials) vernacular.”
A lot of things had to come together in order to make The Bicycle Cellar
successful: the completion of the light rail (the center is located on one of the
stops) and efforts of the City of Tempe. People really wanted to see this
project work out for the Valley. As with any large, innovative project, there
were naysayers who tried to doom it, but it eventually succeeded and
surpassed expected numbers.
JAVA 9
MAGAZINE