Safety

WASHINGTON — A national commission studying transportation infrastructure funding is set to recommend that Congress raise fuel taxes now but eventually replace them with levies based on miles traveled.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it is concerned that emissions systems using a copper compound that engine maker Cummins Inc. will use in 2010 models could generate “likely human carcinogen” dioxins, in which case it would “likely not certify” the systems.

The Teamsters union said employees at YRC Worldwide Inc. have approved a landmark 10% wage cut to help reduce costs as the largest less-than-truckload carrier struggles with falling tonnage in a weak economy.

The U.S. retail diesel average declined 3.6 cents to $2.291 a gallon last week, the 14th consecutive drop, but analysts warned that fleets’ fuel costs are poised to start rising again.

The Washington state Department of Transportation plans to reopen a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 Friday afternoon near Chehalis, Wash., that was closed for two days due to heavy flooding, the Associated Press reported.

Rail and intermodal traffic fell for the week ended Jan. 3 from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

Plans by some states for spending on new highways may undermine the planned economic stimulus, which would focus on existing roads and new transit systems, Bloomberg reported.

The U.S. economy’s service sector improved, but showed contraction for a third straight month in December, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday.