The article examines the impact of the reform of the route network “Magistral” in Moscow on the citizens-passengers. A qualitative analysis of the comments of citizens in social networks was carried out, and problems that residents faced during the reform were found: the cancellation of the usual routes, changes in the transfer system, the renaming of routes, the transfer of stops. Differences in the vision of the development of surface urban public transport between urban planners and public transport users are found. It is concluded that passengers were not familiar with the new transport paradigm, it seems to them illogical and not suitable for the pattern of habitual movements, as well as leading to the loss of the existing urban identity. The qualitative analysis revealed the desire of residents to preserve the history and memory of the place through numbering and route tracing.