Rail Runner Math Puzzle

I’ve never been very good at math so help me out on this one. The Rail Runner’s website says that its 200,000 rider was celebrated on October 13. The Rail Runner has run on weekdays since July 14 (except for Labor day). That means it took 64 days of train rides before the 200 thousandth rider was celebrated (by counting all the weekdays from July 14 until October 13). Are you with me so far?
This article in the Albuquerque Journal quotes Lawrence Rael as saying that during the 3 and one-half month free trial period the Rail Runner was averaging 1500 riders per day. By counting all the weekdays until November 1 (when the free rides ended), we get 75 weekdays of free rides. But if I multiply the number of days (75) by Raels 1500 riders per day average I only get 112,500 riders during the entire free ride period. So here’s the puzzle: how can the Rail Runner celebrate it 200,000th rider on October 13 when only 112,500 riders had taken the train through October 31?
Here’s another one for extra credit: How can the Rail Runner be averaging only 1500 riders per day during the free ride period when 200,000 riders had taken the train by October 13? By my calculation that is 3,125 riders per day (200,000 divided by 64 days). Where have I gone wrong?
I wonder if this math puzzle arises from a later statement by Rael that ridership is now down to 800 to 1200 riders per day. It doesn’t look so bad if ridership goes from 15 hundred down to 8 to 12 hunderd per day. But how does it feel to explain a decrease that goes from over 3,100 down to 8 to 12 hundred per day? Doesn’t that look like ridership is down some 62 to 74 percent!? Inquiring minds want to know.