Go Green, GoLoco

Here’s a new trend in eco-travel: GoLoco, an online “personal public transportation network” that allows members to seamlessly arrange travel plans, share cars, and split expenses, thus reducing our CO2 emissions and making traveling a lot easier (and fun!).

How it works: Sign up for GoLoco. Once you have an account, post your travel itinerary. Trips can be specific or general (“any Saturday or Sunday, around 1 p.m.”). Then, invite fellow GoLoco friends to go on this trip with you. If you don’t know anyone on GoLoco, you can make new friends by posting so that everyone on GoLoco can see your itinerary. After friends respond to your post, decide who you’d like to travel with, and modify your travel plans if necessary. On your determined travel day, meet up with your fellow travelers and let the adventure begin!

GoLoco also allows users to arrange to share trip costs. Users can submit payment information to GoLoco, which will calculate trip costs and automatically transfer shared trip costs to the driver’s online account. That way, travelers won’t have to deal with exchanging money during their trip. Only downfall: GoLoco charges a 10 percent transaction fee for transferring trip costs. But if your friends are notoriously difficult when it comes to money, the extra charge is worth it.

GoLoco is also a Facebook application, so spread the word.

Also on our cyber-networking radar, Dopplr (no more puns, we promise) allows you to post your travel plans to your friends. If a friend is near you, you will both be alerted (on your cell phone or online). As The Guardian explains, “[Dopplr is] a social network that focuses purely on your travel plans—and those of the people you know—in order to encourage serendipitous meetings.” Currently, Dopplr (which is also a Facebook application) is available by invitation only, but as the network grows, our forecast (sorry, we had to) predicts this service will go a long way.