HONOLULU -- Brace yourself for what Monday will bring. Classes begin for more than 40,000 university, community college and private school students.

Motorists have already had a taste of the traffic crunch with most public schools are already in session under the modified year-round schedule. By the end of August, a total of 200,000 students will be in class.

"Get ready for Monday. It's going to be a zoo out there," Department of Transportation Dir. Rod Haraga said.

The day when kids head back to school makes commuting a nightmare. To ease the expected congestion, the Department of Transportation suggests motorists leave earlier or leave later to avoid peak travel periods.

They also suggest that motorists make sure their cars are properly maintained. This year, officials are strongly pushing alternative transportation, such as biking, carpooling or the bus.

"The best deal in town getting to work is the bus," Department of Transportation Services Dir. Ed Hirata said.

The city is offering $100 semester bus passes to University of Hawaii system, Hawaii Pacific University and Chaminade University students.

Vanpool Hawaii offers a shared commute starting at $55 a month.

"We've taken a whole lot of cars off the road and we hope to do that again with this Beat the School Jam program," said Vicky Harris of Vanpool Hawaii.

The DOT said the zipper lane extension that opened this week is saving commuters some time on the road. The department is also putting a hold on road construction projects until Sept. 6, including night work.