TAMPA, Fla. — The first day of school is in the books, and we listened to parents about how it went. Most of them are saying it was relatively smooth, but there were some woes when it came to the car lines.
Excitement on the first day of school was met with stop-and-go traffic in neighborhoods.
"I wish I had left earlier in the morning, because it took me longer," said Maria Pereira, a parent at Carrollwood K-8 School.
WATCH: Parents face traffic woes on the first day of school
From Carrollwood to Orange Grove Middle Magnet School, car lines got lengthy.
"It’s at least a half a mile from the school, and we’re just in line, and it’s going to be at least 20 minutes to get there," said Mark Trowell, a parent at Carrollwood.
And with more than 200,000 kids and nearly 23,000 employees all heading back to Hillsborough County Schools, parents were feeling the delays.
"The beginning of the day, definitely was a little harrowing," said Michael Young, a parent at Orange Grove.
"My daughter, she took the bus in using the magnet buses, and she left our house around 6:15 a.m. and she didn't get to school until almost 8:40a.m., said Young.
Some even experienced rude passersby.
"A lot of people driving by love to lay on the horn while we’re waiting in line," said Alyssa Fowler, a parent at Carrollwood.
But many rolled with the punches.
"I've already been in line about 15 minutes and I anticipate to wait about another 20 to 25," said Sonia Martinez, a parent at Orange Grove. "It is a bit difficult, but it’s to be expected."
Many parents said they're grateful for the new speed cameras in school zones. If you’re caught going 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, you could be facing a $100 fine.
"I'm actually kind of happy for it because I know my daughter takes the bikes in on the side of the road, so it’s much better for people to go slow and that way I don't have to worry about her as much," said Young.
But parents said they want better signage and more notifications.
"I just wish that more notification would have been sent out to the parents," said Martinez. "Hopefully they slow down, but I also think that they should be informed of the new cameras so they can slow down because there is a lot of speeders out there."
Hillsborough County Schools said the long car lines are to be expected on the first week of school, so they're asking parents and students to pack their patience.
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