State Senate Majority Leader Frederick E. Berry and Rep. Ted Speliotis announced that negotiations with the Massachusetts Port Authority resulted in the adoption of a discount rate of $2.50 for Tobin Bridge drivers who join the Fast Lane system, up from $2 but not as high as the new $3 charge.

"This is a significant change," Berry said. "By sticking together, North Shore legislators have forced MassPort to rethink their original strategy of hitting all commuters with a $1 increase. I have been pushing for a discount program on the bridge for many years."

"Reinstating the discount program is a major victory for motorists traveling the Tobin Bridge daily," Speliotis said. "MassPort for years refused to even discuss our proposals."

Berry and Speliotis had organized a legislative boycott of public hearings on the toll increase in December. The legislators boycotted the hearings because of MassPort's plans to implement a toll increase prior to the release of a legislatively mandated report on road, bridge and tunnel tolls in Massachusetts.

"The boycott was instrumental in getting MassPort's attention. They had paid lip service to our objections in the past but this time the boycott sent a clear message of how upset we were as a delegation," Berry said.

MassPort's board voted on the new plan. According to a law previously passed by the Legislature, the toll increase may not take effect until the beginning of April.