PA Turnpike Used $367K In Toll Money To Give Executives Raises: Report

The Pennsylvania Turnpike commission granted enormous raises to its highly-paid executives using money gathered from roadway tolls, as first reported by PennLive and later confirmed by commission documents.

The PennLive report details some $367,107 in raises for the highest ranking members of the commission, including an $86,000 raise for CEO Mark Compton to bring his salary up to $348,118.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Turnpike told Patch that their Board of Commissioners voted to raise salaries "to better align with market value" based on a third-party compensation study.

However, nearby Turnpike CEOs in neighboring states Ohio and New Jersey make $194,744 and $171,066, respectively, around $150,000 less annually than Compton. The details of what was considered "market value" are not clear.

"The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s sole source of revenue is toll dollars, those dollars pay all operating and capital costs of the Commission," the Turnpike spokesperson added in their statement to Patch.

The raises were approved in a non-public, closed door meeting in March, and took funds from the same general stockpile used to fund public transportation, the report states.

Analysts and residents were not happy.

"What a scam the PA turnpike is," March on Harrisburg, an advocacy group based in the state capitol, shared on X.

"Crazy as hell," another said.

The news comes as the Pennsylvania Turnpike continues to face ire from residents and lawmakers who say some of its practices and processes are unethical, and from critics of its price and its steep increases in toll rates. It currently costs around $100 to drive across the state without an E-ZPass.

The Turnpike will raise the toll rate by 4 percent in 2026. When the increases were announced, the Turnpike said they would the proceeds only to pay off the debt of Act 44, which is money the Turnpike owes the state for various transportation projects.

Lawmakers have also sought to pass legislation to prevent the Turnpike from charging exorbitant rates to customers who don't have a E-ZPass, citing unfair procedures that force residents who barely use the Turnpike to either pay enormous fees or buy an E-ZPass for just a handful of trips a year.

"This massive tolling increase unfairly targets Pennsylvania motorists," State Rep. Ed Neilson (D-Philadelphia) said at the time. "This tolling increase effectively forces my constituents to get an E-ZPass or pay significantly higher rates, even if they only travel our toll roads a few times per year to visit family."

Read the full PennLive report here.

This is a breaking story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.