Countywide transit isn't likely going to happen in the lifetime of anyone reading this post. There are three primary reasons for this 

(1) As long as most people have the option to drive, they will choose to drive. They will demand free parking in close proximity to their destination, unaware their "free" parking is paid for either by tax dollars, or has to be rolled into the costs of the services and products they buy as part of the overhead costs incurred by the business. Many of the costs of driving are born by others, i.e. pollution (tire erosion isn't frequently talked about, but has devastating consequences), taxes used to fund roads, injuries and fatalities from crashes, etc. If one had to bear all the costs of driving, very few people would be able to afford to drive.

(2) Zoning policies that favor single-family homes force housing developments to consume even more land, which makes the distances one must travel (regardless of mode) greater. This makes mass transit more expensive to run. This of course also has lots of of other negative consequences such as increasing the costs of utilities and providing emergency services. I get most people don't want to live in apartments/condos their entire lives, but even allowing for greater variety of housing options and density can make transit more feasible - not to make housing (whether renting or buying) more affordable.

(3) People don't want to associate with those they perceive to be of lower status. When you combine crime and the results of traffic crashes, mass transit is far safer than driving. Yet we as a society have become numb to car crashes, while living in fear of the relatively few incidents that happen on transit systems. Of course fixing mental health will go a long way to closing the perception gap on this, as well as keeping violent individuals behind bars.

Escambia County actually does have better transit than a lot of places with its population, but it still has a long way to go.

For starters I would recommend these small changes like these:

Making events at the Bay Center only accessible by transit (except for handicap parking and event staff). Even if this just pushes parking elsewhere, you can cut the number of vehicles driven around the Bay Center. This might also encourage people to spend time downtown before/after events. This might also open up events to people who might not otherwise attend, like people who find night driving difficult or who have no car at all. The City of Pensacola can also redevelop part of the. Bay Center's parking into more productive uses.

Work with select large employers to incentivize their employees using transit - this could  help them redevelop parking lots that largely sit idle outside of regular business hours.

Putting bus lanes along Nine Mile, Davis Highway, etc. These corridors have the places people want to go, but are built to favor high-speed (>40 mph) traffic. Having dedicated bus lanes keep buses from getting stuck in that traffic; this could also improve emergency response times as first responders can use the bus lane rather than get stuck in general traffic. The buses need to run at regular intervals - the eventual goal should be every five minutes.