Since the 1940s, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been important for business and travel across the state. When the path is clear, it’s pretty much smooth sailing.

But when the road gets a little bumpy, it can be somewhat frustrating.

Increases in tolls, dealing with the effects of an aging infrastructure and decisions sometimes made in a less-than-sunny manner can be frustrating.

Take, for example, the recent announcement of pay increases for members of the turnpike commission’s executives that came after a closed-door session shrouded from public view or input.

In a move that was more Wall Street than Main Street, the commission back in March approved raises totaling just over $367,000.

The largest chunk of that cash went to Mark Compton, the commission’s CEO, who got $86,000 — a 33% increase that brings his annual salary to around $350,000. Other members of the executive team snagged 16% pay hikes to round out the total.

In all, six turnpike executives now earn more than $250,000. That’s more than what Gov. Josh Shapiro — the state’s top elected official — makes annually.

A recent news story said the amounts came after a study recommended them to retain leadership and align salaries with market standards, though it’s not clear what market they’re talking about.

What might have been forgotten here is that the Turnpike Commission is a public entity, not private.

Instead, the thinking behind these pay increases looks a lot like the business world — to retain top talent and reward performance.

And they ride on the backs of hundreds of thousands of motorists whose tolls pay the freight.

Over the past several years, Turnpike tolls have increased every year, with rates nearly doubling in some stretches.

Often, they’ve been justified by debt obligations. Heaven knows the Turnpike has them.

Back in 2007, lawmakers approved Act 44, which ordered the Turnpike to provide the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation supplemental funding for transit systems across the state to the tune of $450 million a year.

Those payments were reduced later to a mere $50 million annually, but they saddled the Turnpike with $8 billion in debt.

Even with that obligation lowered, tolls have risen annually for the last 17 years. This year, motorists saw a 5% hike and are bracing for another 4% increase in early January. Tolls will continue to increase through 2050 at rates officials can’t yet estimate.

The biggest toll, perhaps, in all this is the hit on the public’s trust.

The pay raises — essentially executive bonuses — especially when commuters are paying $20 for a basic trip and when small businesses are feeling the squeeze of freight costs are hard for some to justify.

Add to that the issue of accountability.

On its website, the Turmpike claims it’s “committed to providing transparency and visibility to better serve the public.”

If that’s indeed the case, the process behind the salary increases raises some eyebrows.

Details came only after a media request for the information which was buried in meeting minutes and other documents that people rarely see.

There were no public hearings, no debate or discussion and no opportunity for input.

Suddenly, the public entity that touts its transparency as it works to oversee billions in spending on infrastructure went dark.

That sends a bad message.

When people who claim to be public officials reward themselves without involving the public, government suffers.

It fuels the perception of insider activity while ordinary people are footing the bill.

Whatever perception that might be, there’s little chance the commission will make a U-turn on the salary increases.

Instead, it should tie executive compensation to public outcomes. Salaries shouldn’t rise with tolls.

Also, there might be more transparency, possibly with public hearings for changes in an executive salary.

The core of all this goes farther than any highway. It’s about public service, accountability and making sure our leaders put communities first.

Our dollars — and tolls — shouldn’t pave the way for executives and high salaries. The commission needs to stay in its lane.

Otherwise, you might call it highway robbery.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.