This is an intriguing idea!
[Zipcar founder] Robin Chase ... aims to do for carpooling what she did for car-sharing: make it hip. Wired asked for a crash course on her new venture, GoLoco...."I started looking at issues of congestion, sprawl, and climate change. They're very complicated. So how do you make changes? When it comes to cars and travel, people will dramatically change their driving behaviors when the real costs are made clear to them....
So GoLoco matches up drivers and passengers, and it does all the money stuff behind the scenes through online accounts. There's no discussion of money in the car, no negotiation - it's all done up front. The other important piece is that we're afraid to ride with strangers. So - duh - social networks. Our Web site gives context: pictures of faces, voice clips, employment."
Carpooling would be a truly revolutionary change for some people, so it remains to be seen if GoLoco catches on. Right now, I don't see much action on the site(though I'm not "logged in"). But, if more and more traffic-crazed people start logging on and discussing potential trips, maybe this idea will grow? Let's hope so. Traffic in Virginia really sucks right now. Go check GoLoco out and maybe post a trip if you commute by car or are planning any summer trips -- and will be hauling some empty seats.