Not a coincidence, because after crossing the border going into Missouri you soon reach the city of Joplin, and going west there isn't an exit for 17 miles after the OK/MO border until Miami. Same thing on the other end of I-44, Wichita Falls, TX is 20 miles closer to the border than Lawton, so the further one gets from WF, the more development drops off, until nearing Lawton well inside the border.
Perhaps you should drive Kilpatrick Turnpike as it loops around the OKC area from Edmonds to Yukon, with growth springing up along it the entire way now, including Quail Springs mall. And yes, the OKC area is growing, about a 12,000 person increase each year. Your thesis that toll roads stop growth just doesn't hold water.
Yes. The growth stopped at the border, precisely at the toll booths.
and going west there isn't an exit for 17 miles
Exactly my point. No exits, no business, no growth. This is why toll roads are inferior to free roads. They must restrict on/off traffic, and even where they have entrances they discurage traffic by charging money. Less traffic, less economy, less growth, less tax revenues.
Same thing on the other end of I-44
Bingo. I grew up within ten miles of where the I-44 Turner turnpike exited onto I-35. Even back in the day, there was business on I-35, but obviously *not* on the turnpike. Since the 60's, that area has grown dramatically, *except* in the direction along the turnpike, that direction is desolate.
Perhaps you should drive Kilpatrick Turnpike as it loops around the OKC area from Edmonds to Yukon
I was born in Edmond (no 's'), and my daughters live in Yukon today and I regularly visit. The development along the turnpike predated it's existence, when it was named "Memorial Rd.". To this day there is more traffic along the free access roads than the pay road. People would rather stop at a few lights than pay the money, making the access roads and lights crowded, and the toll road underused and wasted. New development has tapered off since the turnpike opened, and has now skipped over it into the Edmond and Guthrie area, particularly along the free 2nd street west, of Edmond.
What I know about turnpikes is ancedotal, but is extensive. Growing up near the exit of the Turner turnpike demonstrated where economic growth is, and where it is not. Living in the 80's along the former toll road between Dallas and Ft. Worth, made it obvious that growth is enhanced by closing the toll booths. And commuting on the 91 "Freeway" west of Corona California in the 90's, with it's toll lanes, and watching the government close down the old free parallel highway in order to jam up the new freeway and push people onto the toll lanes made it perfectly clear to me that toll roads suck big time. They incite governments to make bad choices in their greed to get instant tax money and other influence from the toll road operators.
You will not convince me otherwise after my lifetime of personal observation. Name calling and insults as you have done in previous posts will not change my mind. If you don't have some very hard core numbers on how toll roads make strong economies over the decades they will exist, then don't bother with your other arguments, I'm not buying them.