Drivers always complain about the timing of traffic lights. It looks like a no brainer to set the lights for your car, but the traffic engineer has to also accommodate the traffic in the opposing direction as well and cannot violate the laws of physics.
True, but the main road can be set. At least if you can hit most of the green lights, it would make traveling surface streets a lot more enjoyable than hitting every single red light. I commute 4 miles along surface streets - a pretty main road. Some days it takes me half an hour to go 4 miles because I hit every single red light. On a good day, I can make it in 13 minutes.
It all depends upon the situation.
There are situations where traffic circles are more efficient.
Traffic circles also take up more real estate than perpendicular street intersections.
Some traffic intersections involve more than a pair of perpendicular roadway approaches and traffic circles might be a decent solution.
A traffic circle with a higher percentage of traffic accidents are not more efficient than a well designed street light controlled intersection.
In the last 2 years, probably because of UN endorsement, they have been artificially promoted by political interests, independent of professional due diligence in design.