Ride-sharing 2.0

In my family's efforts to stay a one-car household, I've always benefited from the kindness of strangers...and friends.  Public transportation isn't always an option for the many after-work events and I often have taken the leap of faith that I will find someone willing to drop me off somewhere on their way home.

Zipcar founder Robin Chase has taken her own leap of faith with a new web start-up aimed at helping people like me find rides AND to help facilitate paying back all those kind strangers. The ride-sharing service is called GoLoco.

This week's edition of Newsweek has the story.  (DCist also blogged about it for Earthday).

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Kevin Beekman lives in Alexandria, VA

Comments

[Kevin Beekman]

Thanks. Good to know.

I also heard of another one called NuRide (www.nuride.com).

It seems to me that each of these services offer slightly different types of ride sharing opportunities. GishiGo seems to be long-haul, NuRide seems to be about commuter carpooling and GoLoco seems to be for casual rides around town.

Am I right in thinking that?

[Aaron]

GishiGo.com is a excellent website! I use it all the time for ridesharing. It is cheap and great network design, lots of features. Whenever I Rideshare I make post on GishiGo, then announce it on those social netoworks (Craigslist and MySpace, etc) and filter people thru my GishiGo post. This way I know if they are serious or just wasting my time. Helps me build confidence. When someone doesn't want to invest their 99cents into GishiGo and exchange identity, it's powerful knowledge!

http://www.gishiGo.com

[Kevin Beekman]

On GoLoco website under 'Learn More' it says:

"You can use GoLoco to share rides for free. Or you can choose to share trip costs quickly and easily online before the trip without the awkward money discussion or exchange in the car. GoLoco collects each passenger's share of the total trip costs before the trip begins and transfers it to the driver using online accounts. We charge a 10 percent transaction fee."

[Jeff Price]

This sounds like a great program, I urge everyone to sign up and try it out.

I am looking forward to seeing how this application would work in Arlington..and DC, any thoughts?

Right off the bat, I can see how this program might really take off in rural places, (like my home province of New Brunswick, CAN) or at University Campuses.

Some of the people that need transportation the most, of course, are not online.

Does the membership cost anything? What about each 'transaction'?
It was hard to get the details on their website.