Safer Streets

One morning, Patricia Miller was taking a walk on a busy street near her home, in Goodyear, Arizona, when a car nearly jumped the curb. Thankfully, she was unharmed. But the car came “very, very close,” Miller told TIME for Kids.

WE ARE FAMILY Patricia Miller’s close call has inspired her grandson, William, to advocate for safer streets.

Miller and her grandson William often walk together on that road to get ice cream. When William went to visit that evening, she told him what had happened.

“I’ve always known that there’s lots of street racing” on Estrella Parkway, William Miller, 10, told TFK. “But after I heard that my grandma was nearly hit by a car, I was not happy. So I asked my dad, ‘What can we do to fix this?’ And he said, ‘Let’s go to city council.’”

That’s exactly what they did. The experience has shown William the power of speaking out to improve people’s lives.

MEET THE PRESS William is interviewed by a local news show near Estrella Parkway, where he saw the need for a traffic light.

Voicing Concerns

Goodyear City Council meetings are open to the public, with time set aside for people to comment on issues affecting their community. When it was his turn to speak, William, then 8 years old, dressed in a blue suit and tie, stepped up to the microphone. He spoke about people racing cars on Estrella Parkway. “It’s very dangerous,” he said. “I wonder if you guys have any solution to fix this.”

SPEAKING OUT Stories about William’s advocacy appear on the local news and on national TV after his January 8, 2024, appearance at city council.

Mayor Joe Pizzillo was impressed. In Goodyear, he says, “we encourage young people to step up, get more involved in civics, to understand how local government works. So when I saw William come up [to the podium] . . . it was very refreshing.”

Turns out, plans to install a traffic signal on Estrella Parkway were already in place. But when William spoke at the meeting and shared his observations with Goodyear’s police chief, it brought more attention to the need for safer streets, Pizzillo says.

CHANGE-MAKERS The mayor of Goodyear, Arizona, Joe Pizzillo, was impressed by William’s speech at a city council meeting.

Last summer, about six months after the January 2024 council meeting, a new traffic light was up and running. “After that happened,” William says, “I felt like I could do anything.”

Helping Others

Stories about William’s efforts to improve his community have appeared on the local news and on national TV. And he has received an Outstanding Citizen of Goodyear award from his school district. William’s dad, also named William, is proud. He says, “I knew something good was going to happen when he walked up there” to speak at the council meeting.

What community issues does William plan to tackle next? “I’m not sure yet,” he says. “I need to keep exploring.” But he’s confident that Pizzillo will listen. “I’ve told [William] he’s probably going to be sitting in this office at some time in the future,” Pizzillo says.

Whether or not William will one day be mayor remains to be seen. But he does aspire to a life of public service. “I really want to be the president,” the fourth grader says.

FUTURE LEADER William tries out Mayor Pizzillo’s desk. William is considering a career in public service—including a future run for president.

For now, William is happy with the changes on Estrella Parkway. “You don’t see cars racing each other to the end of the road,” he says. “And it feels much safer.” His grandmother agrees.

Inspired?

Let William’s story inspire you to speak out for change in your community. Click below for ideas about how you can make a positive difference.