1) The easiest jobs for us to get would likely be gov't for her and at UofA for me since that's the field where most of experience is. What would be some good communities to look at that would provide good access to downtown and the university?
If your budget is what it is, I suggest a condo in Oliver or a smaller house in Queen Mary Park. If it's not too far for you, check out Ritchie - it's the up-and-coming neighborhood for younger folks, and has a great brewery (Biera).
2) How is traffic?
I found it's very managable. Better than Calgary's. That said, it depends where you live and where your commute goes. High Level bridge is painful to get to from Downtown at 4:30. On the weekends it's not bad, but people also like to drive - just like in Calgary.
3) How is transit?
Average. It's the same like Calgary, perhaps with a little less service. Underground subway downtown, however, is GREAT in the winter.
4) Are there good bike lanes to both DT and Univ?
As I write this, bike lanes are being installed in Garneau, McKernan, Strathcona, Queen Alexandra, etc. They're going all in from the looks of it, and people actually do use them - even in the winter.
5) It seems that Spruce Grove, St Albert and Stoney Plain are popular. How easy to get DT and to the Univ from there?
Spruce Grove and Stony Plain - not that hard to get to the Uni, and DT is not that far off. Once you are on the Henday, Whitemud is easy and fast, but Fox Drive does back up a bit. YOu might consider taking the Yellowhead and coming in from the North, but Henday/Whitemud/Fox Drive should suffice, takes about 20-30 minutes in the morning. The new Walterdale Bridge has like 4-5 lanes so traffic moves fast once you're through Garneau.
6) What areas should be avoided for housing? I see some houses fairly close to DT are very cheap so I'm guessing sketchy as well.
Boyle Street, MacCauley, Parkdale, and Eastwood can be dicey. Westwood, Spruce Avenue and Alberta Avenue are better by comparison as they are slowly gentrifying and provide inner-city options for younger families. Plus they are becoming student neighborhoods with NAIT and Grant McEwan rapidly expanding their campuses.
Ping me if you want any more advice, I am a recent Calgary transplant myself and - suffice to say - this place has grown on me a bit.
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