Intermodal Logistic Hubs attract significant amounts of different kinds of traffic. Trucksdeliver and pick up goods, containers have to be moved between different terminals,service vehicles of operators and authorities mix into the heavy vehicles, and sometimeseven public roads cross the site. The “organic growth” of these facilities and themultitude of involved parties frequently result in inefficient and sometimes eveninsufficient traffic infrastructure, unnecessary negative environmental impacts, and highcosts for stakeholders. To optimize the infrastructure and operation of these hubs therequirements of the different stakeholders, service times at facilities within, origins anddestinations of vehicles, their routes and speeds, and so on have to be known – whichthey are often not.This article scrutinizes the mentioned issues and outlines the potential ofshedding light on these issues for the example of the Port of Hamburg (Germany). In thefocus is the methodology used to analyze the traffic in such an Intermodal Logistic Hubcovering a land area of 43 km² and being entered and left by more than 120,000 vehiclesevery day. Expert and street side interviews, vehicle tracking, and screenline trafficcounts have been combined to answer questions on bottlenecks, emission black spots, andviability of electric vehicles. This combination of traditional and modern surveytechniques proved to provide a wealth of new information which allows for improvedprocesses and procedures leading to increased turnover of goods with a giveninfrastructure and with less negative impacts.
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