Although the Rail Runner Express is still at least five months away, state employees who commute between Albuquerque and Santa Fe could get another kind of relief at the gas pump.

Gov. Bill Richardson has signed an executive order directing State Personnel Office Director Sandra Perez to put together guidelines for "teleworking" and alternative work hours by July 15. Agencies will adopt policies by September.

"Rising gas prices are hitting New Mexicans hard and, as the largest employer in the state, I am directing state government to alleviate some of the costs associated with soaring fuel prices," Richardson said in a statement. "I have established a statewide program to help reduce fuel use and taxpayer costs while still putting the public's access to state government first."

The changes could mean four-day or other kinds of work weeks for some employees, and employees also could telework from offices closer to home than their usual workplace.

Strict policies will govern who is working when and where, the state says. It also is looking at ways to increase teleconferencing and use of mass transit as gas prices continue to rise.

Friday's average price for a gallon of regular gas in New Mexico was $3.97. Richardson said at a news conference Thursday that many state workers who commute between Albuquerque and Santa Fe are spending a third of their incomes on gas.

Already, the state's Park and Ride system, which carries commuters to Santa Fe from Los Alamos, Española, Albuquerque and other cities, is more popular than ever. The system had 1,900 passenger trips a day, including 950 between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, according to the Department of Transportation's most recent figures.

A few state employees have access to cars that can be taken home and used on state business. As of last November, the General Services Department said, 157 cars were in that category, although some departments on the list have said since then that they've stopped allowing take-home cars.

The GSD is looking at other ways to save energy as well. Preliminary ideas include replacing vehicles after five years or 100,000 miles with more efficient autos, encouraging more telephone and video conferencing, state-sponsored mass-transit passes and buying a pool of state-owned bicycles for employees to share.

Even small changes will add up since the state is no small user of gas products: From January to March of this year, the state fleet used 1,338,575 gallons of regular gas and 156,296 gallons of premium gas, according to the GSD. It also used 400,840 gallons of diesel and 6,023 gallons of premium diesel in those three months.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog, Green Chile Chatter, at www.santafenewmexican.com.