"It's been a little bit of a struggle with the snow coming down as heavy as it's been," said Robert Curry, who lives in St. Paul.

Instead of the city plowing the alleyways, people are encouraged to work with neighbors or contract with a private plow.

"I don't think that's the greatest policy in the world," Curry said.

Curry said this only leads to another problem because their recycling can't get picked up if the alleyways are not safe for those drivers.

"It was piling up there pretty bad," Curry said.

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Some support the city policy, including Jerry Testa, who helps collect money from his neighbors to hire a private plow.

"We know that we have control and it's going to get done," Testa said.

KSTP

"Both sides of this issue have really strong opinions," said St. Paul Public Works Public Information Officer Lisa Hiebert.

Hiebert said along with equipment and staffing issues, she says the alleys are not properly engineered for this work.

"The alleys are all very different, which can complicate plowing," Hiebert said.

But new this year, St. Paul is working with the University of Minnesota to figure out if this work could be possible.

"We are going to be studying alley plowing and what that would take, what that would look like, how much that might cost, what some of those challenges and opportunities are," Hiebert said.

In the meantime, it is all about lending a helping hand.

"It's been a blessing because you have neighbors who are good-hearted that will help, and will come out and shovel your walk," Curry said.

This study costs $30,000. If plowing in alleys gets the green light, residents could see it become a reality as early as next winter.