PHOTOS AND VIDEO: MTA Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month with Experiences at Grand Central

Children with Autism Explore NYC Transit Nostalgia Bus and Use Metro-North Train Simulator

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The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) invited children with autism to Grand Central yesterday for transit experiences in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month.

In partnership with New York City Public Schools and INCLUDEnyc, 15 students and their guardians explored a New York City Transit vintage bus parked outside Grand Central, had a close-up look at a Metro-North Railroad locomotive, and visited the Metro-North Simulator Room to try operating a train. The children also got to meet and speak with different MTA employees including a bus operator, locomotive engineer and members of Metro-North's Operations Training team.

"We're thrilled to give these New Yorkers the chance to explore one of the coolest buses in our fleet and offer the opportunity to ask a bus operator all their bus questions," said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. "Autism Acceptance Month is a chance for New York City Transit to connect with riders in a special way and honor the diversity that makes our city special."

"Metro-North wants to make sure all customers using the transit system know that they belong," said Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek. "I hope by giving these children a behind-the-scenes look at Metro-North operations, we can foster an appreciation for transit and the employees who keep our system moving every day."

"Events like today reinforce that we are a city where access and belonging extend from our classrooms to our communities, including our transit system," said Deputy Chancellor, Division of Inclusive & Accessible Learning, NYC Public Schools Christina Foti. "Through this partnership with the MTA and INCLUDEnyc, we're proud to affirm that autistic students and families are welcomed, supported, and valued in NYC Public Schools and across New York City."

"We are excited to partner again with the MTA and NYCPS to raise autism awareness and provide these experiences for our kids," said IncludeNYC Executive Director Cheryelle Cruickshank. "Raising awareness is about more than visibility-it's about creating a sense of belonging! And this event brings our city one step closer to being more equitable and accessible for all young people with disabilities."

Throughout April, the MTA is celebrating Autism Acceptance Month as the Long Island Rail Road concourses at Penn Station and Grand Central Madison are lit up in blue and digital screens across the transit system are displaying Autism Acceptance Month messages.

Autism Acceptance Month works to foster inclusion and increase understanding on what it means to be a person with autism while celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to society.

More About Vintage Bus #3100

Bus #3100 from 1956 was the first air-conditioned bus in the United States used for public transportation. The bus was designed and built as an experiment, and this single example was purchased by the Fifth Avenue Coach Company about a year after its manufacture. It has other features first introduced in the 1950s: a push-type rear exit door, wrap-around seating in the rear portion, soft seating, and fluorescent lighting. It was retired from all service in the mid-1970s.

More About Metro North's Heritage Locomotives

Metro-North Railroad debuted its fifth locomotive, dedicated to railroad employees, as part of its Heritage Series in July 2024. The full-size mosaic images, created from the individual employee photographs, on each side of the locomotive are representative of Metro-North's East of Hudson lines, with the clock tower at White Plains station representing the Harlem Line, a New York Cityscape representing the Grand Central, a view of the Hudson River from the Bear Mountain Bridge for the Hudson Line and Bridgeport's Black Rock Harbor Lighthouse for the New Haven Line. As a historical nod, one side of the locomotive uses the old two-toned "M" logo of the MTA, and the other side uses the modern MTA logo.

Metro-North Railroad's eighth locomotive, with special colors and designs, debuted in November 2025 as part of its Heritage Series that highlights the railroad's 42 years of service to the public. The wrap applied to locomotive No. 216 honors the service and sacrifice of the nation's veterans and was developed with direct input from Metro-North's veteran workforce.