The survey found that having ways to get around without a car was very important to students, and could even affect where they chose to live.

Three quarters of respondents said it was either “very” or “somewhat” important to live in a place with “options for getting around besides driving” after graduation; 55 percent of respondents said they would be “somewhat more” or “much more” likely to stay in the state after graduation if they didn’t need a car to get around.

That’s the case for Adin Berger, a UW-Madison freshman. Berger talked about growing up in New Jersey with easy access to a subway system for shorter trips and an Amtrak train for longer journeys to New York and Washington, D.C.

“In Madison, I love having the ability to walk anywhere on campus or take the bus,” Berger said. “But it’s frustrating how difficult it is for me to leave Madison without a car.”

“If Wisconsin is serious about attracting younger generations here, we need an easily accessible public transportation system and to prove we care about taking care of the environment,” he said. “After graduation, I want to live in area where I do not feel that driving is the only way to get around.”