5 cities on Red Line join forces to promote life sciences sector

Five cities connected by the MBTA’s Red Line – Braintree, Quincy, Boston, Cambridge and Somerville – have announced that they will work together to promote the region’s life sciences industry.

The idea originated from informal discussions among the cities’ economic development directors and is based in part on the notion that the five communities have distinctive strengths. While Cambridge is often regarded as the center of the U.S. biotechnology industry, it is also a place where commercial rents, especially in the Kendall Square area, tend to be steep.

Biotechnology companies want to be in Cambridge because of the research infrastructure, “but not everyone can afford the rent,” said Cambridge City Manager Richard Rossi.

Rossi added that as a young company grows larger, it may make sense for it to move where commercial properties are less expensive.

“Isn’t it wise for all of us to hope that that company stays in the region?” Rossi said.

The five cities are home to more than 460 life sciences companies, according to the office of Boston Mayor Martin Walsh.

“This partnership will have immediate impacts on business development and institutional growth, and ensure the region remains an economic engine for the Commonwealth and a top location for cutting-edge research,” Walsh said in a statement.

One goal among the cities’ mayors is improving service on the Red Line.

“Traffic congestion on the Southeast Expressway makes efficient public transportation especially important,” Rossi said.

“This is strength in numbers,” added Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan. “You don’t get anything done alone.”

The mayors from each city attended a May 13 press conference in Cambridge announcing the collaboration.