Because transit vehicles often have long wheelbases and long front and rear overhangs, sharp changes in profile or vertical curves with low K values should be avoided. Profiles across intersecting streets and more critically across railroads should be as flat as possible or have high K values to avoid any possibility of the bottom of the transit vehicle contacting the pavement.

Limiting grades for transit vehicles depend on the power source. For diesel powered vehicles short upgrades of up to 6% are acceptable and short ramps may be up to 10%. Electrically powered vehicles often have greater hill-climbing ability than diesel powered vehicles.

Transit stations and other developed stops should ideally be on profiles of 1.5% or less to allow for accessible boarding. However, retrofits on existing roadways or profiles in hilly terrain may make this requirement infeasible. In those cases, allows for exceptions.

Low points in profiles should not be designed where a transit platform or bus pullouts are planned as the presence of a platform makes an inlet impractical and creates drainage issues.