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Fixing Edmonton’s crumbling back alleys could cost every homeowner roughly $30 a year, even if they live among the cul-de-sacs of Windermere.

The new figures come from a report heading Tuesday to executive committee, setting up a debate on how to fix a $450-million problem in Edmonton’ mature neighbourhoods.

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Edmonton has 1,175 kilometres of back alleys, of which two thirds are full of potholes, slumping pavement and water pooling. For decades, they’ve taken a back seat to street repairs. Residents could only get them fixed if a majority of homeowners on a block agreed to cover much of the cost.

Councillors want a plan to bring all the alleys up to standard. Tacking it onto the neighbourhood renewal program would require $18 million a year for 25 years. That could be done by slowing down the rest of the renewal work, deferring other capital projects such as recreation centres and bike lanes, or it could be an additional tax levy — a 1.27-per-cent increase rolled in over several years.