An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas. A lane can also mean a track, or a channel. On the highway you can drive in the passing lane, the express lane, the commuter lane or the slow lane. There is also a "memory lane". This is where you can visit the past with fondness.

Alleys are narrow thoroughfares along which the backs of homes or businesses abut. Trash receptacles may be stashed there. A lane, in this context, is normally also narrow, smaller than a road, especially in the countryside.