If practical, the roadway should intersect the tracks at a right angle with no nearby intersections or driveways. This layout enhances the driver's view of the crossing and tracks, reduces conflicting vehicular movements from crossroads and driveways, and is preferred for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Highly skewed railroad-highway crossings can cause wheels of bicycles to get caught in the gap between the rail and pavement. To the extent practical, crossings should not be located on either roadway or railroad curves. Roadway curvature inhibits a driver's view of crossing ahead. A driver's attention may be directed toward negotiating the curve rather than looking for a train. Railroad curvature may inhibit a driver's view down the tracks from both a stopped position at the crossing and on the approach to the crossing. Those crossings that are located on both roadway and railroad curves present maintenance challenges and poor rideability for roadway traffic due to conflicting superelevation.

Where roadways that are parallel with main tracks intersect roadways that cross the main tracks, there should be sufficient distance between the tracks and the roadway intersections to enable roadway traffic in all directions to move expeditiously. Where physically restricted areas make it impractical to obtain adequate storage distance between the main track and a roadway intersection, the following should be considered: