April is Autism Acceptance Month, and for the fourth year in a row, Metro has partnered with the Autism Transit Project to highlight the special bond children with autism often have with mass transit systems.
In acknowledgment of that connection, Metro invited 10 children with autism to record boarding and safety announcements that will be played throughout the Metro Rail system the entire month of April.
Metro joins fellow transit agencies - Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), the Maryland Transit Administration (Maryland MTA), and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) – in supporting this meaningful cause.
“Metro is proud to support efforts that promote understanding, acceptance, and inclusion,” said Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke. “We are committed to creating a system—and a region—where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and able to fully participate in daily life. The announcements you hear in our station this month are a way to show that Metro stands with the autism community.”
This year's participants range from 6 to 19 years old and represent communities throughout the region. The pre-recorded announcements cover a variety of pertinent information, including reminders to hold children by the hand on escalators and minding the gap when entering and exiting trains.
Metro recently celebrated these young transit enthusiasts at an event at the West Falls Church station. Participants toured a rail car, buses, and engaged with Metro General Manager Randy Clarke during a question-and-answer session.
About Metro
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider, serving a population of approximately four million people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia within a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction. With a network of six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes, and a door-to-door paratransit service, Metro is the second busiest transit system in the United States serving 268.9 million trips in 2025 with a $5 billion operating and capital budget. Since 2022, Metro has completed multiple transit-oriented development projects that have brought $15 million in tax revenue to the region from housing, office, and retail space in our community. Safety and security are core values at Metro. Over 30,000 cameras monitor the system, and Metro currently has the lowest crime rate in history with fare evasion on rail and bus declining. In 2025, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Metro the Transit Agency of the Year in recognition of industry-leading ridership growth, record high customer satisfaction, a newly redesigned Bus network, expanded rail service, and improved customer experience.