Photo by Mike

As Metro delays persist in the D.C. area, Uber is spending millions of dollars to tout its ride hailing service as the number one alternative. The company is rolling out a new feature today to give the region’s passengers the “peace of mind” of knowing their car will arrive at a designated time.

Uber’s Scheduled Rides option lets riders book uberX trips 30 minutes to 30 days in advance. This will ensure that cars pull up when consumers need them most, the company said in a release, “whether it’s for a 4 a.m. ride to the airport, a ride during rush hour to a 9 a.m. job interview, or an important meeting on the Hill.”

The option is offered in other cities, Bill Gibbons of Uber told DCist. But D.C.’s iteration is part of Uber’s Pooling Together program, a $10 million effort to mitigate travel disruptions caused by Metro’s SafeTrack plan.

Depending on the distance though, these timed rides may cause customers a bit more money. Last week, Uber raised the minimum fare of uberX rides in D.C. from $5.35 to $6.35. But the company said that passengers who are using the service “as an alternative commuting option” instead of taking it for short trips will likely not feel the effects of the increase.

The Scheduled Rides feature is rolling out in the D.C. region today, and will be available to everyone in the area within the next couple of weeks, the company says.