The Impact of New Subway Construction on the Commuting Methods and Time Utilization of Residents Along the Line: A Comparison Before and After the Completion of the Subway in Kunming City

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

I was pleased to read the article:

The Impact of New Subway Construction on the Commuting. Methods and Time Utilisation of Residents Along the Line: A Comparison Before and After the Completion of the Subway in 4 Kunming City.

It covers an important research issue.

In my opinion, the following elements are worth considering and modifying:

1.The title of the article is too long.

2.The Abstract (lines 10-27) should clearly state the purpose of the article.

3.The Introduction should begin with a justification for choosing this topic in the context of other modes of transport, and the considerations in lines 80-91 should be supported by literature.

4.At the end of the Introduction (line 115), the purpose of the article and a paragraph on the structure of the article (listing the individual parts) should be added.

5.Point 2, Study Area and Data, in line 127, gives the dates of the surveys conducted in 2011 and 2016. These are very distant from the time of writing the article. It is worth adding a small sub-point at the end of point 5 (line 496) about the changes that took place between 2016 and 2025.

6.Point 6, Discussion and Conclusions, contains only conclusions. The discussion, starting in line 498, should refer to the results of other authors' research and indicate whether the results presented in the article are similar or different. The discussion should also include the reasons for the differences and similarities between the compared results.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Comments 1: The title of the article is too long.

Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. Therefore, I have simplified the title to 'A Study on the Characteristics and Mechanisms of Changes in Commuting Patterns and Time Utilization Among Residents Along Newly Built Subway Lines.' This is reflected in lines 3-5 on the first page of the manuscript.

 

Comments 2:The Abstract (lines 10-27) should clearly state the purpose of the article.

Response 2:Agree. I have revised the abstract to emphasize the research objectives of the article. The specific content can be found in lines 9-24 on the first page.

 

Comments 3: The Introduction should begin with a justification for choosing this topic in the context of other modes of transport, and the considerations in lines 80-91 should be supported by literature.

Response 3: Thank you very much for your feedback. After careful consideration, I have reorganized and revised the research background and literature review sections of the article. The specific modifications can be found in lines 28-38 on the first page, lines 60-77 on the second page, lines 91-95 on the third page, and lines 120-130 on the third page.

 

Comments4: At the end of the Introduction (line 115), the purpose of the article and a paragraph on the structure of the article (listing the individual parts) should be added.

Response 4: Agree.I have added the structure of the article in lines 147-153 on page 4.

 

Comments 5: Point 2, Study Area and Data, in line 127, gives the dates of the surveys conducted in 2011 and 2016. These are very distant from the time of writing the article. It is worth adding a small sub-point at the end of point 5 (line 496) about the changes that took place between 2016 and 2025.

Response 5: Thank you for pointing this out. I have added the changes in Kunming city from 2016 to 2025 in lines 199-202 on page 5.

 

Comments 6: Point 6, Discussion and Conclusions, contains only conclusions. The discussion, starting in line 498, should refer to the results of other authors' research and indicate whether the results presented in the article are similar or different. The discussion should also include the reasons for the differences and similarities between the compared results.

Response 6: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. Therefore, I have divided the conclusion and discussion section into two parts: Discussion and Conclusion. The specific modifications are on pages 20 and 21, lines 578-600 and 617-634.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Congratulations on your interesting research article. To further enhance its value and impact, please consider incorporating the following elements:

1. To provide a more comprehensive context, please discuss similar studies conducted on the same topic, both within China and globally. Highlight the key findings and conclusions from these studies to demonstrate how your research contributes to or diverges from existing knowledge.
2. Include a more thorough literature review that clearly outlines the current state of research in your field. This will help readers understand the gap your study addresses and its significance.
3. Please provide a clear rationale for selecting Kunming City as your research location. Explain any specific reasons or unique characteristics that made this city particularly relevant for your study.
4. In Chapter 3.3, you mention using GIS to create circular buffer zones. Please elaborate on your GIS methodology. Specifically: 
   • Briefly define GIS for readers who may be unfamiliar with the term and provide more detailed information on how GIS was utilized in your analysis.
   • Clarify whether the buffer zones were based strictly on Euclidean (air) distance or if they were adjusted to account for road networks or pedestrian access. If the latter, explain why this was considered important for your study.  
5.  In Chapter 3.4, you mention avoiding the ecological fallacy in your modeling. Please briefly explain the steps you took to prevent this, ensuring the robustness of your findings.
6. In your final chapter, discuss whether your study's findings can be extended to other locations. Furthermore, elaborate on how public authorities might utilize your research in their decision-making processes.

Author Response

Comments 1: To provide a more comprehensive context, please discuss similar studies conducted on the same topic, both within China and globally. Highlight the key findings and conclusions from these studies to demonstrate how your research contributes to or diverges from existing knowledge.

Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. In the introduction, I have rephrased the practical and real-world background of the article. The rapid economic development and urbanization process have significantly promoted changes in the built environment, which in turn affects residents' travel behavior. As a unique component of the built environment, the metro system is bound to have a more profound impact on the areas along its route. However, the specific impact varies depending on the location and time, leading to contradictory research findings. Therefore, I explore how these influences manifest based on the different attributes of the metro system. The specific modifications can be found in the first paragraph on page 1, lines 28-38, and the third paragraph on page 2, lines 60-96.

 

Comments 2:Include a more thorough literature review that clearly outlines the current state of research in your field. This will help readers understand the gap your study addresses and its significance.

Response 2: Thank you very much for your feedback. I have revised the literature review section based on your suggestions. The specific modifications can be found in the first paragraph on page 1, lines 28-38, and the third paragraph on page 2, lines 60-96.

 

Comments 3: Please provide a clear rationale for selecting Kunming City as your research location. Explain any specific reasons or unique characteristics that made this city particularly relevant for your study.

Response 3: Agree. The reasons for choosing Kunming as the research subject are explained again in lines 120-130 on page 3 and lines 156-174 on page 4. Since most cities in China started their metro projects later, and Kunming's metro was in the early stages of construction at that time, experiencing the historical process of development from non-existence to existence, it is highly representative and valuable for research.

 

Comments4: In Chapter 3.3, you mention using GIS to create circular buffer zones. Please elaborate on your GIS methodology. Specifically:

Briefly define GIS for readers who may be unfamiliar with the term and provide more detailed information on how GIS was utilized in your analysis.

Clarify whether the buffer zones were based strictly on Euclidean (air) distance or if they were adjusted to account for road networks or pedestrian access. If the latter, explain why this was considered important for your study.

Response 4: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. In section 3.3 of the article, first, I provide a brief description of the ArcGIS software and some of its functions. Secondly, I used the ArcGIS buffer tool to divide the areas around the stations into two circular buffer zones based strictly on Euclidean distance: 0-500 meters and 500-1000 meters. The specific modifications can be found in lines 269-274 on page 8.

 

Comments 5: In Chapter 3.4, you mention avoiding the ecological fallacy in your modeling. Please briefly explain the steps you took to prevent this, ensuring the robustness of your findings.

Response 5: Thank you for pointing this out. In section 3.4 of the article, the ecological fallacy situation I mentioned in modeling is addressed by selecting the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as the criterion for choosing different models for different dependent variables. The reference intervals are based on previous studies by scholars.

The range of ICC values for each dependent variable

	Car travel choice	Activities throughout	Travel distance
Station-level ICC	<0.125	<0.15	<0.15
Individual-level ICC	>0.875	>0.85	>0.85

 

Comments 6: In your final chapter, discuss whether your study's findings can be extended to other locations. Furthermore, elaborate on how public authorities might utilize your research in their decision-making processes.

Response 6: Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. Therefore, I have divided the conclusion and discussion section into two parts: Discussion and Conclusion. The specific modifications are on pages 20 and 21, lines 578-600 and 617-634.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Present contribution constitute a quite significant work complementing existing research concerning metro lines urban impacts' evaluation.

Nevertheless, some changes need to be implemented to support deeper analysis of presented results. In details:

• English language should be generally improved, especially in terms of chosen language, scientific style should be enhanced, mainly in the introductory section;
• Introduction should be revised:

a. first paragraph statements should be supported by the wide literature concerning metro lines projects' impacts' assessment;

b. paper structure should be clearly defined at the end of the section;

c. selected case-study should be directly introduced.

• In the section dedicated to the selected Study Area chosen city should be briefly described both in its socio-demographic structure, as well as in its morphology, thus not limiting its characterization to transport-related factors;
• Table 2 should be formatted since detailed instructions are not easy to be read;
• Figure 7: colour gradient and respective legenda should be clearly stated;
• I would suggest to re-think Discussion and Conclusions section. I think the former one should focus on research results, thus insisting on the comparison with previous similar studies. The latter one, on its side, should insist on specifical outcomes for policy making and spatial planning activities.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

I would suggest further proof-reading not in terms of typos or relevant mistakes, but to improve scientific style and tone.

Author Response

Comments 1: English language should be generally improved, especially in terms of chosen language, scientific style should be enhanced, mainly in the introductory section;

Introduction should be revised:

1. first paragraph statements should be supported by the wide literature concerning metro lines projects' impacts' assessment;
2. paper structure should be clearly defined at the end of the section;
3. selected case-study should be directly introduced.

Response 1: a.Thank you for pointing this out. I agree with this comment. In the introduction, I have rephrased the practical and real-world background of the article. The rapid economic development and urbanization processes have significantly transformed the built environment, which, in turn, affects residents' travel behavior. As a unique component of the built environment, the metro system has a profound impact on the areas along its route. However, the specific impacts vary depending on the location and time, leading to contradictory research findings. Therefore, I explore how these influences manifest based on the different attributes of the metro system. The specific modifications can be found in the first paragraph on page 1, lines 28-38, and the third paragraph on page 2, lines 60-96.

1. I have added the article structure in lines 147-153 on page 4;
2.  Thank you very much for your suggestions. I have introduced the research cases required for the later sections in the introduction. The specific modifications can be found in lines 120-130 on page 3.

 

Comments 2: In the section dedicated to the selected Study Area chosen city should be briefly described both in its socio-demographic structure, as well as in its morphology, thus not limiting its characterization to transport-related factors;

Response 2:I agree with this comment. I have added the urban form and socio-demographic structure of Kunming during the selected period, as well as the unique historical context of the city, in Section 2.1 of the article. The specific content can be found in lines 156-176 on page 4.

 

Comments 3:Table 2 should be formatted since detailed instructions are not easy to be read;

Response 3: Thank you for your feedback. I agree with your suggestion. Therefore, I have reformatted and improved the readability of Table 2, eliminating repetitive and overly simple descriptions. The revised content can be found in Table 2, lines 248-249 on page 7.

 

Comments4: Figure 7: colour gradient and respective legenda should be clearly stated;

Response 4: Thank you very much for your feedback. I have optimized the figures in the article. For Figure 7, I have readjusted the color gradient and revised the legend labels for clarity. The specific modifications can be found in lines 459-462 on page 15.

 

Comments 5: I would suggest to re-think Discussion and Conclusions section. I think the former one should focus on research results, thus insisting on the comparison with previous similar studies. The latter one, on its side, should insist on specifical outcomes for policy making and spatial planning activities.

Response 5: Thank you for your suggestion. I agree with your comment. I have restructured the "Discussion" and "Conclusion" sections into two separate parts. The "Discussion" now focuses on the research results and compares them with previous similar studies, while the "Conclusion" emphasizes the specific outcomes for policy-making and spatial planning activities. The specific modifications can be found on pages 20 and 21, lines 578-600 and 617-634.

 

Comments 6: I would suggest further proof-reading not in terms of typos or relevant mistakes, but to improve scientific style and tone.

Response 6: Thank you sincerely for your advice. I have carefully proofread and reviewed the article to ensure that the language is scientifically rigorous and precise. I have made necessary adjustments to improve both the tone and word choice for scientific accuracy.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx