CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Cars lined up for blocks Tuesday morning as parents dropped off their children at Creekside Elementary School just off Yorktown Boulevard for the first day of school — but not everyone was stuck bumper to bumper.
Some families have traded their cars for golf carts, using back roads to avoid the construction-related congestion on Yorktown Boulevard.
Ella Isaac said her family made the switch after dealing with the roadwork, especially with construction expected to continue through fall 2027.
"The construction was still there, and when it was, hard for us, and I realized that, and now we have a new construction, so my family and I, we finally decided to buy the golf cart because we live right there and we just use the back roads and going all the way down there and coming here and it's really easy. Even though I have my car, we don't have the golf cart yet, I still use the back roads going all the way down there and coming here and it's really easy," Isaac said.
"And of course the construction is for the future for a nice road, but right now golf cart is really easier right now," Isaac said.
Roger Alvarez said his family also made the switch to a golf cart this school year.
"The ease of access is a little bit easier with the golf cart just due to all the construction going on, it just made it a lot more simple to get the kids here," Alvarez said.
While other parents sat waiting in line, Alvarez and his family were in and out quickly.
"It's quick, fast and simple, that's how we like it," Alvarez said.
Not every family has a golf cart to beat the backup. Some parents are simply leaving home earlier to account for the slower traffic.
Jasmine Felix said she and her family adjusted their morning routine for the first day.
"We woke up earlier, left earlier, this is not a normal preschool experience, so we're just trying to make sure that we get her all set for the first day," Felix said.
Felix said even with the extra time built in, the line still moved slower than she expected — though she noted improvement as the morning went on.
"The line was a little long, but I know that everybody's trying to do their best in getting all the kids in and out, and they're doing a pretty good job now that I see how quickly the line's going, so it's doing better," Felix said.
Her advice for other parents facing the same morning routine?
"Definitely pray, just take your time and no rush, I mean everybody's a parent here, so everybody's just trying to help each other out and everybody understands each other, I think," Felix said.
Drivers are finding their own workarounds to beat the Yorktown Boulevard backup as the school year gets underway.
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