[a] effective january 1 , 2010 , a new accounting standard required us to account for receivables transferred under our receivables securitization facility as secured borrowings in our consolidated statements of financial position and as financing activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows . the receivables securitization facility is included in our free cash flow calculation to adjust cash provided by operating activities as though our receivables securitization facility had been accounted for under the new accounting standard for all periods presented . 2012 outlook f0b7 safety 2013 operating a safe railroad benefits our employees , our customers , our shareholders , and the communities we serve . we will continue using a multi-faceted approach to safety , utilizing technology , risk assessment , quality control , training and employee engagement and targeted capital investments . we will continue using and expanding the application of tsc throughout our operations . this process allows us to identify and implement best practices for employee and operational safety . derailment prevention and the reduction of grade crossing incidents are critical aspects of our safety programs . we will continue our efforts to increase rail detection ; maintain and close crossings ; install video cameras on locomotives ; and educate the public and law enforcement agencies about crossing safety through a combination of our own programs ( including risk assessment strategies ) , various industry programs and local community activities . f0b7 transportation plan 2013 to build upon our success in recent years , we will continue evaluating traffic flows and network logistic patterns , which can be quite dynamic , to identify additional opportunities to simplify operations , remove network variability , and improve network efficiency and asset utilization . we plan to adjust manpower and our locomotive and rail car fleets to meet customer needs and put us in a position to handle demand changes . we also will continue utilizing industrial engineering techniques to improve productivity and network fluidity . f0b7 fuel prices 2013 uncertainty about the economy makes projections of fuel prices difficult . we again could see volatile fuel prices during the year , as they are sensitive to global and u.s . domestic demand , refining capacity , geopolitical events , weather conditions and other factors . to reduce the impact of fuel price on earnings , we will continue to seek recovery from our customers through our fuel surcharge programs and expand our fuel conservation efforts . f0b7 capital plan 2013 in 2012 , we plan to make total capital investments of approximately $ 3.6 billion , including expenditures for positive train control ( ptc ) , which may be revised if business conditions warrant or if new laws or regulations affect our ability to generate sufficient returns on these investments . ( see further discussion in this item 7 under liquidity and capital resources 2013 capital plan. ) .
nearly all of the remaining increase in fuel expense , reflecting a relatively flat year-over-year fuel consumption rate . f0b7 free cash flow 2013 cash generated by operating activities totaled $ 5.9 billion , yielding record free cash flow of $ 1.9 billion in 2011 . free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities ( adjusted for the reclassification of our receivables securitization facility ) , less cash used in investing activities and dividends paid . free cash flow is not considered a financial measure under accounting principles generally accepted in the u.s . ( gaap ) by sec regulation g and item 10 of sec regulation s-k . we believe free cash flow is important in evaluating our financial performance and measures our ability to generate cash without additional external financings . free cash flow should be considered in addition to , rather than as a substitute for , cash provided by operating activities . the following table reconciles cash provided by operating activities ( gaap measure ) to free cash flow ( non-gaap measure ) : millions 2011 2010 2009 .
what was the percentage change in free cash flow from 2001 to 2011?
millions the free cash flow of 2011 is $ 1917 ; the free cash flow of 2010 is $ 1415 ; the free cash flow of 2009 is $ 699 ;
millions 2011 2010 2009
cash provided by operating activities $ 5873 $ 4105 $ 3204
receivables securitization facility [a] - 400 184
cash provided by operating activities adjusted for the receivables securitizationfacility 5873 4505 3388
cash used in investing activities -3119 ( 3119 ) -2488 ( 2488 ) -2145 ( 2145 )
dividends paid -837 ( 837 ) -602 ( 602 ) -544 ( 544 )
free cash flow $ 1917 $ 1415 $ 699