What is the purpose of the High Capacity Manual (HCM)?

The High Capacity Manual (HCM) primarily focuses on outlining strategies for managing high traffic volumes. It serves as a comprehensive resource for traffic engineers and planners to understand how to effectively handle roadways and intersections that experience significant levels of vehicular activity. By providing methodologies and techniques for traffic analysis, the HCM helps in optimizing the flow of traffic, improving efficiency, and minimizing congestion in urban settings.

This aspect of the HCM is crucial for designing infrastructure and implementing policies that accommodate the dynamic nature of cities where traffic volumes can vary drastically at different times of the day or week. The guidelines in the manual cover topics such as signal timing, intersection configurations, and capacity analysis, ultimately aiming to enhance the performance of transportation systems under high-demand conditions.