A conveyor and a method for metering articles on a conveyor belt advancing in a direction of belt travel. Article-supporting rollers in the belt are actuated by a stationary bearing surface defining an upstream acceleration zone to accelerate articles forward along the conveyor belt. An activation belt advancing in the direction of belt travel at a speed faster than the conveyor belt provides a mobile bearing surface that actuates the belt rollers to rotate opposite to the direction of belt travel in a downstream deceleration zone. The conveyor belt also has regularly spaced retractable flights, which are retracted by contact with the stationary bearing surface in the acceleration zone and extended into a blocking position by contact with the mobile bearing surface in the deceleration zone. Articles in the deceleration zone are pushed rearward atop the rollers into metered positions against the leading faces of the flights.