ESCONDIDO -- A free Saturday limousine shuttle will begin carrying Sprinter passengers into Escondido's Grand Avenue business district next month, the leader of the Downtown Business Association said Wednesday.

The shuttle, which has been advertised as a way to ease parking constraints and make downtown Escondido more accessible to riders on the Sprinter light-rail line, will start running April 5. The trip is roughly three-quarters of a mile.

It will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Saturday, with a dropoff and pickup in the downtown area every 30 minutes, according to Debra Rosen, the association's chief executive.

Rosen said that the association joined up with Extreme Limousine to bring the Saturday shuttle to downtown after fielding numerous calls this week from train passengers who were trying to find their way downtown from the Escondido Transit Center.

A separate proposal to offer a Monday through Saturday shuttle service with the help of the city of Escondido is still being discussed, Rosen said. The goal is to have the extended-service plan worked out in the next couple months, she said.

The new Saturday service will be free to anyone holding a Sprinter ticket.

The 22-mile Sprinter light-rail line began operating March 9, carrying thousands of passengers a day from Escondido to Oceanside. The trains operate seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.

On Saturday, trains arrive at the Escondido Transit Center at 26 minutes past the hour.