BISMARCK, N.D. – The director of North Dakota’s state fleet, Paul Hanson, has said that at the halfway point of the biennium, half his budget remains. But Hanson’s division of the Department of Transportation is implementing more conservation measures. The state fleet consists of about 3,200 state-owned cars and trucks, according to NDPR.

Hanson said he did anticipate higher gasoline prices — but he didn’t anticipate $4 a gallon. So, he said his division has been taking some steps to conserve fuel, including purchasing vehicles that get better gas mileage. As a result, the fleet has saved more than 50,000 gallons of gasoline.

Hanson said that he expects more meetings will be done by interactive television, resulting in less travel. He is also urging state employees who use the vehicles to slow down a little. The fleet runs about “20 percent biodiesel” in the summer, and 450 vehicles in the fleet use E-85, as well.

Hanson is also testing a handful of flex-fuel vehicles.