Two world-renowned universities have been tethered to Boston for almost a century by trains on the Red Line. Soon, the city may be able to boast a more reliable connection to the main campuses of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The City of Boston plans to launch a partnership with the two institutions through the experimental online initiative edX, which offers free courses to anyone with Internet access. In his State of the City address Tuesday night, Mayor Thomas M. Menino will announce an effort to bring edX to Boston’s community centers, according to his staff.