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“HONORING RICK KNAPP, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E37 on Jan. 21, 2004.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING RICK KNAPP, HUMBOLDT COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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HON. MIKE THOMPSON
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rick Knapp, who is being honored on the occasion of his retirement as District 1 Director of Transportation, California Department of Transportation.
Rick Knapp began his career with the California Department of Transportation in 1962. A graduate of the University of Nevada with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, Rick Knapp accepted a position with the Division of Highways, District 1, in Eureka, California.
In November 1966, he entered the United States Army and served in Vietnam where he designed bridges to replace those destroyed in combat. After two years in the Army, Rick Knapp returned to his engineering duties in Eureka. In 1972, he took a promotion as a Project Design Engineer in Los Angeles. In 1973, he joined the Division of Transportation Planning to help develop the first California Transportation Plan.
In 1979, Mr. Knapp returned to Eureka and in 1994 he became the Director of the 1st District, a region that includes the four northern counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino. Immediately after his appointment as District Director, he was faced with the biggest earthquake and the most severe winter storm damage in the District in 30 years. With 18 of 23 state highways closed one or more times during the winter, Knapp and his team faced the colossal challenge of restoring and improving the highway system. After directing the repair of 400 damaged locations during difficult winter conditions, Knapp undertook a new program to correct perennial winter road closure locations.
During his tenure as Director, Rick Knapp's accomplishments include the widening and realignment of a two-mile high collision segment of U.S. Route 101 at Gushing Creek through the Redwoods near Crescent City. By securing emergency funding, Knapp made it possible to proceed with the project to relocate Route 101 at the Confusion Hill landslide that will establish a safe and reliable highway at this critical location. As Chair of the Context Sensitive Solutions Steering Committee, he developed a policy for the State of California that promoted flexibility in design and led to new state guidelines on State Highway Main Streets. In May 2003, Rick Knapp received the Charles H. Purcell Award from the California Transportation Foundation for excellence in engineering management.
An avid cyclist, Rick Knapp helped form the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association. He was born and raised in Garberville, California. He is married to Jean Hawthorne and has two grown children, Angela and Randy Knapp.
Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we recognize Rick Knapp for his commitment and dedication to his profession and for his 35 years of service to the people of California. We wish him happiness and much deserved rest in his retirement.
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