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VIA THE WASHINGTON POST:

Just one day after setting a record for its second-highest ridership day, Metrorail passed that mark on Friday.

The subway counted 891,240 trips on Friday. which the transit agency attributed to heavy crowds for the Cherry Blossom Festival and to people attending the Washington Wizards game against Chicago at the Verizon Center.

The previous record for the second-highest day was set on Thursday, when Metro recorded 877,890 trips. The most riders for the system in its 34-year history occurred last year for the inauguration of President Obama on Jan. 20, 2009.

According to Metro, here are Metrorail’s top five ridership days:

1) Obama Inaugural (Jan. 20, 2009): 1,120,000

2)Cherry Blossom Festival/Washington Wizards (April 2, 2010: 891,240

3) Cherry Blossom Festival/Washington Capitals (April 1, 2010): 877,890

4) Obama Inaugural activities (Jan.19, 2009): 866,681

5) Baseball/Women of Faith (July 11, 2008): 854,638

On Saturday, the agency experienced is fourth-highest ridership day with 674,173 trips. The records come as the agency struggles with historic budget deficits, which officials have blamed on overall declines in ridership due to the economic downturn.

Metrorail and Metrobus provide more than 1.2 million trips on an average weekday, the agency said.

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